Where Honor Ends
by finderj
Summary: Post-Breaking Dawn. Canon. Third person POV. New characters. Carlisle and the family must save the world from a new villian and a new threat.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing from Twilight – Stephanie Meyer does.

Finder and the new characters are mine.

Prologue:

"Oh no, Bella, no!" cried Edward in horror. "Bella, please! Bella, listen to me, please, please, Bella, please! Carlisle! Bella, Bella, no, oh please, no no!"

"Edward, son…it's too late. She's gone. I'm so sorry."

And the world _shifted……_

Ch. 1

Edward sat, frozen in shock, as the heart of his beloved Bella ceased to beat. Carlisle, his father in all that mattered, put out a hand to touch him, but Edward didn't notice. He simply sat, covered in the blood that once drove him insane, holding the body of the girl who was his world.

Carlisle stepped back, shock and horror in his eyes. He noted, without attention, that three of his other children were fighting the vampire who had brought them all to this, the tracker James. He had no doubt of the outcome of the fight. His concern was all for Edward, his son, who had been alone for so very long and now, had lost the woman who would have been his wife, his mate, his other half. What would happen to Edward now? Would they be able to keep him from killing himself when he understood that Bella was truly gone? He doubted that even Edward's undoubted love for his family would keep him with them.

"Dr. Carlisle." A voice, a warm contralto voice, spoke from him from the darkness behind him. He whirled in surprise. How could any other being be present and unnoticed by his vampire senses?

A woman stepped forward, the shadows clinging to her like mist. "Dr. Carlisle, there is very little time. I can help you."

"Help me? Help me? There is no help here, madam. Who are you, and what do you want?" Carlisle's voice broke at last. If he could have wept, he would have drowned in tears. 'Oh, Bella, Edward, my children', he cried silently.

"Thirty seven seconds ago, Bella Swam was killed by the vampire, James. Thirty seven seconds ago, Bella Swan was in a catastrophic head-on automobile collision that took the life of her mother, Renee' and her mother's husband, Phil. If she receives proper emergency medical care in the next minute or so, she has a chance to live."

Carlisle stared at the woman, short, auburn-haired, with smoky grey eyes and startlingly thick black eyelashes. She stepped forward and laid her fingers on Carlisle's arm, not reacting to his cold skin. "I know this is a tremendous shock. I know what you have undergone here. I know what you fear most. I give you the opportunity to change this. You can choose, but you must choose very quickly."

"I don't…what do you…how is…." Carlisle stopped speaking and thought, rapidly, in the manner of vampires. Utilizing his training and his long years of almost total self-control, he extended his senses and studied the woman. She stood quietly, a small quirk in her lips, and waited. Carlisle closed his eyes and sniffed. No scent. None. He sensed some heat coming from her body, but no scent at all. No scent of blood, no scent of the oddly archaic clothing she wore, the loose trousers, tucked into soft leather boots, the wide belt, the wool of the long tunic, or of the long, hooded cape concealing her. He could not hear anything, not her breath, not her blood moving in her veins, not her heart beating. He opened his eyes and looked at her again. She met his gaze calmly, but there was a sense of urgency in her demeanor that she did not bother to hide.

"Who are you? More importantly, what are you?" he asked.

She sighed deeply. "We are wasting time. There is now less than a minute to save Bella Swan. Does anything else really matter right now?"

Carlisle looked at Edward, frozen in shock and the beginning of unendurable grief, holding the dead girl in his arms, the girl Carlisle had come to care for as a daughter. "No. Nothing else matters at this moment. How can you help? What did you mean when you said that Bella was in a car accident?"

"Do you want my help or not?"

Carlisle took a short breath and in a split-second, made the most terrifying decision of his existence. He had no idea who this woman was, whether she was real, or even if she could help, nor did he know what, if any, the price would be if she really could help his family, but he knew it didn't matter. If she could help, he would pay any price, any price at all to spare his family this terrible loss.

"Yes."

The woman smiled briefly.

She lifted some sort of charm hanging from a long silver chain around her neck. A soft light bathed the room and everyone in it, excepting Carlisle, Edward and the woman, froze in mid-motion. "Don't worry, this lasts only a very few seconds. Dr. Carlisle, no one else can know what happened here, do you understand? No one else."

"I understand," said Carlisle softly, his intellect struggling to keep shock, grief, all emotion at bay. This was not a problem to be solved with feeling. His intellect must guide here, or all would indeed be lost.

The woman stepped to Edward and crouched down beside him, a bit of distance between them. Wise, thought Carlisle. This woman must know something of what we are. "Young Edward," she called. Edward stirred and turned dead eyes to her.

"Leave me alone." The agony he felt leeched his voice of any inflection, any humanity at all, and yet, thought Carlisle, Edward had never been more human that in this moment of his deepest suffering.

"I can give you your Bella, alive. Hurt, and in serious need of medical help, but alive. Do you want her?"

Edward looked at her blankly for a heat beat, then bared his teeth in a ferocious snarl. "Get away from me! Don't speak again!" He pulled Bella's body closer into his arms, hiding his face in her hair.

Carlisle stepped forward and crouched near the woman. "Edward…son…listen. There may be a hope here."

"Hope?!? Hope?!? Are you insane, Carlisle? She is dead, dead, and nothing in all your experience can bring her back! She is dead, and this is all my fault! She didn't deserve this, but I….just get away from me, just leave me alone!!!"

"Young Edward!" The woman spoke and there was both a compelling power and pity in her voice. Edward reluctantly met her eyes. "I can give you back your Bella, intact, loving you, remembering everything you shared. With your help, I can do this. But you must decide now. We have less that one minute to accomplish this."

"Damn you! Damn you to hell! How dare you speak to me like this, now of all times?"

"Bella can be saved, young Edward. Do you want this? Do you want to save her? Is there anything you would not do to save her?"

Edward started to speak, and she raised her finger, signaling silence.

"Do you or do you not want Bella, alive and well?"

Edward took a deep shuddering breath. "Yes."

"Then you, and you, Dr. Carlisle, will do precisely as I say." Father and son gazed across the body of the dead girl they both loved, and Carlisle rose lithely to his feet. He raised Edward, still holding Bella in his arms. "What to we need to do?" He asked quietly. "Both of you, come. And bring Bella."

The strange woman stepped between them. "I must touch you for this to work. My apologies." She pulled the strange charm out again, and touched it as if she were turning some unseen mechanism, then, laying her fingers lightly on each vampire's arm, dropped the charm to the end of the chain. An oval of blue light appeared in front of them.

"Step through, carefully. The surface on the other side is different," she instructed, pushing lightly with her fingertips.

Edward and Carlisle stepped through at the same moment, shock enveloping them. The woman stood between them as they realized that they were standing in the lee of a busy highway overpass, hidden from the view of passing vehicles by the overgrowth and the concrete pillars. Before them was a terrible scene. Two vehicles, a mini-van and a small pick-up truck, had crashed head-on. Both were burning and the smell of scorched plastic and burning rubber hung heavily in the air. The woman stepped quickly between them to the rear of the mini-van, which was not yet afire.

"Dr. Carlisle, the door, please."

Carlisle stepped forward and tugged the door. It was jammed from the power of the impact. "Sir, if I know your names and your situation, I certainly know what you are. Exert some strength, please."

Carlisle didn't hesitate – he jerked the door, flinging it aside as it came free. His throat contracted at the smell of human blood, a great deal of it, but he shrugged off the reaction, well used to controlling his thirst. He heard two heartbeats, both weak and faltering, and as he stepped up into the interior of the van, one of those hearts stopped. He sniffed again, and smelled….But this was impossible! He smelled….Bella's blood! And that was her heart he heard beating weakly. He stretched out his hand to his son.

"Edward…." But by now, the scent that had so captivated him had reached Edward. He jerked his head up, and, impossibly, heard the heartbeat. He looked at the dead girl in his arms, and then his panicked eyes turned to Carlisle. Carlisle raised his brows, querying. Could Edward read the mind of this strange woman, could he detect anything that might help them through this impossibly strange situation? Edward jerked his head imperceptibly, and in turn, lifted his brows to his father. Carlisle gave him a nod, and a tiny shrug, telling Edward that yes, Bella was in the van, and no, he had no clue how this, any of it, was possible.

"Dr. Carlisle, please remove Bella from the vehicle. She is badly injured." The strange woman's quiet voice carried the weight of command and Carlisle moved almost without volition. He reached across the seat, unbuckling the seat belt and carefully lifted the breathing Bella into his arms. Turning, he faced Edward, who had stepped up to the edge of the van, holding the dead Bella close.

"You must place her in the vehicle, young Edward. Quickly, please," the woman instructed. Moving like automatons, Edward and Carlisle passed each other, one carrying a living girl, the other carrying a dead one. Edward leaned into the van and placed his Bella on the seat, re-buckling the seat belt uselessly around her. He bent forward and kissed her soft cheek, then choked and collapsed across the seat, unable to let go.

Carlisle had stepped out of the van, holding the living Bella in his arms. His training took over and he automatically assessed her condition. She was breathing, her heart beating, but she was loosing blood rapidly. There were broken bones and most likely, internal injuries as well. He felt her blood pulsing through her skin, and diagnosed very high blood pressure, which would make her bleeding wounds even worse. She had very little time indeed, if they were to save her life.

The strange woman stepped past him and into the van. She reached around Edward to touch Bella, and he snarled. She smiled at Edward. "This will not hurt her, and it is necessary." Moving slowly, never flinching from Edward's glare, she placed a small, silvery disc against the dead girl's temple, then pulled it back and placed it in a pouch at her belt. She never released Edward's eyes.

"Come," she said gently.

"I…can't," said Edward. "I can't just leave her here like this!"

"You must. Look. There is your father, Carlisle, and he is holding Bella, the living, breathing Bella. The Bella who needs you."

Edward jerked his eyes to Carlisle, who looked up and silently confirmed the woman's words. 'I don't understand any of this, but this _is_ Bella, and she _is_ alive!' thought Carlisle fiercely to his son. For the first time, Edward looked, really looked, at the girl in Carlisle's arms. She was breathing. And he could smell the unique, singular scent of Bella's blood. He could hear that blood, moving in her veins, hear her heart struggling to beat despite the trauma Bella had endured. The woman reached out and gently tugged at Edward's hands. "Come. You must help me if we are to save Bella."

Edward felt as if he were losing his mind. Bella was dead. Bella was alive. This strange woman walked into his greatest nightmare, his own personal hell, and offered him a way out. But it was no exit she offered, it was simply another hell. He shook his head, struggling with the incomprehensible agony, and the indescribable hope surging through him.

"Carlisle…?" he whispered.

"Edward, I don't know. I have no explanation at all. But Bella, here and now, is alive. Badly hurt, but alive. If we help her, she will live. Take the chance, son. Take it," Carlisle urged, praying that the God Edward believed had condemned him would listen, would prod Edward to accept this, the only chance Carlisle had of keeping both son and daughter alive.

Sobbing tearlessly, Edward stumbled, falling out of the van to his father's feet. Carlisle bent and desperately transferred the living Bella into Edward's arms. Edward froze. The girl moaned, a breathless whisper, and the word was a name: "…Edward…"

And suddenly it was real. His Bella was alive, in his arms. Hurt, but alive.

He raised his head, dazed and disoriented. "How…?"

"I will explain, later, what I can. It is enough to say that Bella is alive, and that is all that matters. Come, we must return."

The woman leapt from the van and the oval of blue light appeared once again. They stepped through, back in the ballet studio where James had tortured Bella.

Carlisle shook his head, supporting Edward as he collapsed to the floor. He quickly glanced toward his children, and saw frozen time resume, the fight ended, the dismembering of James, the fire lit.

"There is one more thing: Bella must be bitten, and you, young Edward, must suck the venom from the wound."

"No! Not Bella! Not after all this!" Edward practically shrieked at the woman but she paid him no mind.

"Dr. Carlisle, this _must_ happen, or all of this has been for naught. If I have been right thus far, then take it on faith that I am still right, and this must happen. You must bite Bella's wrist, and Edward must suck out the venom. Now!"

Carlisle stared at this strange woman with the incomprehensible ability to change their world. 'What??? Bite Bella? Why?' he wondered. How did she know who, what they were? Why was it important for Bella to be bitten? What was going on here?

"This must happen, sir. She must be exposed to vampire venom or she will not be able to play her role in this world's salvation. Come, sir. The two of you can save her. Please."

Carlisle considered all the impossible things that had happened in the last minute. Instinctively, he knew that this woman had some power, some ability to _know_ what was necessary to save Edward and Bella. Something about her, or her obvious power, told him to accept her instruction. He knew, he simply knew, that this would work out. "Edward…son, I am so sorry," breathed Carlisle, and he bent and bit Bella's wrist.

"NOooooo!!!!" screamed Edward. "Oh, Carlisle, no, no, no!!!" He snatched Bella's wrist from Carlisle and began sucking at the wound.

The woman placed a soft hand on Carlisle's bowed head as she stretched out and placed another silvery disc on Edward's temple. Intent on Bella, he did not notice as she held it there for a second, then removed it and placed it in her belt pouch.

"He will not remember this, Dr. Carlisle. Only you will be cursed with this memory. He will remember only that James had bitten Bella. He will remember that you all arrived in time to save her. He will not remember me, nor our trip across dimensions to save Bella. Only you will remember."

"Why, why have you done this? Who are you and what has happened here?" Carlisle whispered confused, shaken to his core. He could understand nothing except that this strange woman had known who they were, had known that Bella was both dead and alive, had know that they were vampires, had known, somehow _known_, everything that had happened tonight, and had saved Bella, perhaps saved them all.

"I owe you some answers, sir. What I can share, I will tell you. I will meet you at the hospital, after Bella is cared for," said the woman, and then she stepped away and the shadows rose up like living things and concealed her. Carlisle stared after her, puzzling, realizing that the strange woman had simply disappeared into darkness. Then Bella moaned again, and he turned, a physician heeding his calling, a father heeding his love for his children.

Carlisle stepped wearily out of the operating room at Phoenix General Hospital, wiping his hands against his scrubs. They had needed surgery and pins to set Bella's leg properly, and to repair some of the internal injuries. Though he did not have privileges at this hospital, they were good enough to let him scrub in as an observer. Things had gone very well, and Bella would be fine. He had, though, been unable to get the strange events of the evening out of his mind. Had there really been two Bellas, one alive, one dead? How could this be? And how was it that Edward remembered nothing of their encounter with the strange woman who had appeared in the ballet studio. None of his other children had seen or sensed anything either, not even Alice, and that scared him more than a little. He sighed, and turned to walk to the waiting area to tell his family how the surgery had gone.

"Dr. Carlisle."

"You!"

It was the woman from the ballet studio, the strange woman who had precipitated the strangest events Carlisle had ever experienced. He hissed slightly, then forced himself to relax. Had she meant them harm, she had had plenty of other opportunities. So far, they were safe, and Bella had been restored to them. Answers were important, but not critical.

"My apologies, Dr. Carlisle, but speed was of the essence, and there was no time for questions or explanations."

"Who are you? No, better, what are you?"

She smiled slightly. "Our paths have been close before, Dr. Carlisle. In Paris. 1796. I am called the Finder."

Carlisle thought furiously. He remembered being in Paris during the tumultuous Revolution and the following bloodbath, hearing vague stories of a person who could find things, people, objects, solutions, but his orders from the Volturi had not given him time for investigating a strange story.

"You are not a vampire, nor a shape-shifter. How is this possible?" He would have liked to point out that she certainly didn't look nearly three hundred years old, but he refrained. What had happened during the evening had shaken his confidence in his understanding of the world, and he had yet to recover his balance.

Finder smiled again. "No, I am neither of those, nor am I witch, or daemon. I am not an angel, a savior, or a saint. I am a person with some odd gifts, a great deal of learning and a responsibility." She paused. "I regret that you must bear this knowledge, Dr. Carlisle. It is necessary." She reached out and handed him a small, silvery disc. "You must place this disc on Bella's temple before she awakens from the anesthetic. Hold it there for a second or two, and then destroy it totally."

"Why? What is it?" It was identical to the silvery disc she had held to Edward's temple, back in the dance studio, and that had certainly done Edward no harm that he, or Edward, knew of. Surely the woman had not gone to the trouble of the inexplicable exchange of Bellas, only to hurt Bella.

"It will alter her brain engrams slightly, no more."

"That isn't possible", whispered Carlisle, shocked and more confounded than he thought possible.

Finder actually chuckled. "After tonight, you question what is possible?"

Carlisle bowed his head slightly in acknowledgement and Finder continued. "Are you familiar with the theory of parallel worlds, Dr. Carlisle?" He started at the seeming non-sequitur.

"I have read something about it. It is a theory that there are other worlds, mirrors to our own, where most things are the same, with a few crucial differences."

"It is no theory, Dr. Carlisle. Parallel worlds exist, congruent to this one."

Carlisle thought for a moment. Parallel worlds would certainly explain why there were two Bella's, but it would not explain everything.

"Alright. Supposing that this theory is indeed fact. Why have you stepped into our lives? What does Bella have to do with this? Or any of us?"

Finder rubbed her hand across the back of her neck wearily. She sighed. "I am a guardian, Dr. Carlisle. My job is simple. I am responsible for watching over the maturation of sentient species. I used to say 'the human race', but vampires, shape-shifters, and the like are not human, or not only human. Yet they are all sentient, and it is my job to help them achieve maturity. I watch over the closest congruent worlds, and intervene when something threatens to end that world entirely."

"I don't understand. How could Bella, or my family, have anything to do with the end of our world?" Carlisle was truly astounded at her words. He sensed intuitively that she spoke a truth he had only glimpsed, but it simply made no sense to him.

"Dr. Carlisle, there are…analogs between the worlds, dopplers, who are in every way exactly like each other. In Bella's first world, however, vampires do not exist. There are no analogs for you Cullens, nor most of the other 'supernatural' beings that exist in this world. For her, you Cullens are fictional characters from a series of books and films written largely for teenaged girls."

Carlisle snorted. This preposterous statement couldn't be taken seriously, and yet….yet this evening had occurred.

"I know, I know. But there are no analogs for Cullens. For Bella, yes. For you, no." She paused. "I have been watching this world closely, for many reasons. Another…situation had piqued my interest. Further investigation made it clear to me that for this world to survive, Bella and Edward are necessary. And you as well, sir."

"I? How is this….no, this makes no sense. We don't play hero, we keep our existence secret. And I know of nothing that could threaten every human-based species in our world."

"Dr. Carlisle, you will simply have to take my word for this now. There are things I cannot explain at this time. Though I find you Cullens fascinating, particularly young Edward and your daughter Alice, I would have not intervened for your sake alone. I may tell you that without you, and without Edward and Bella, every human, every vampire, every human-based species in this world, will die. It is my job to prevent such catastrophes if I can. And even so, I do not yet know if I have succeeded this time."

"You cannot make such a sweeping statement without some sort of evidentiary support. This is a wild, insane story, and explains nothing!" Carlisle could not, would not simply take this story on faith alone. He was a physician with a sweeping interest in theoretical science and the time to indulge his interest, and yet he simply could not credence the woman's story. Regardless of all the mysterious things that had happened, he simply could not take any more insanity.

"Dr. Carlisle, the proof of my story lies in the recovery room, breathing."

Carlisle stopped short.

"I can't…I just can't…"

Finder took pity on him. "I know, sir, I know. It is impossible, utterly impossible, and yet….it happened. And you know it. You are not insane, you are not dreaming, this is real."

"How…what…what can you tell me to make this all make sense?" Carlisle asked desperately.

"Very little more at this time. There are a few things you must know. That disc will reinforce Bella's memories of Edward without damaging her at all. She must forget that she ever read books or saw films about fictional vampires. Other than that, she will recall every detail of her life perfectly. And before you object, in her own world her life ended tonight. Young Edward will not remember this either. I regret the necessity of interfering with their liberty, but things must unfold as they are being set up to do." She reached out her hand and pulled off a silver band from her index finger. "You will need this ring, Dr. Carlisle. Young Edward can read your mind, and no unguarded memory of this incident must come to his awareness. And there will come a time when the Volturi will ask to read your thoughts and you may not refuse." Carlisle thought he was beyond shock, but the woman's mention of the rulers of the vampire world shook him more than anything he had yet experienced during this terrible, shattering evening. The woman continued as though he had not reacted. "This charm will protect this incident and anything relating to it from anyone able to perceive your thoughts. It will do nothing else. It will resist vampire venom, vampire powers and will work indefinitely. The rest of the secrecy will depend on your strength of will, sir, which is formidable. This is a secret you must keep from everyone, even your mate. No one can know of this." She took his hand, ignoring the cold of his skin, and slid the ring onto his smallest finger, where it fit perfectly. He glanced at it curiously and then at her, and she grinned. "I was prepared, sir. I do have a plan."

In that moment she looked years younger, and truly human. Carlisle found himself smiling back. She took another item from her pouch and Carlisle was surprised to find a flash drive in his palm. "This is a compilation of several months of research, not all of which was legally acquired, I must confess, on a virus outbreak in southeast Asia. Study it, sir. Study it most carefully. This is the answer to your question of why. It is your excuse for preoccupation, should you need it. You, sir, are the only person in this world who has a chance of solving this riddle. You have eighteen to twenty-four months, sir. And I will be in contact." Carlisle looked at the flash-drive in his hand, started to speak, and Finder was gone. He was alone with his memories, his questions, and his fears.


	2. Chapter 2

CH. 2

_Eighteen months later, post- Breaking Dawn_

Carlisle Cullen looked up from the paperwork spread on his desk. He could hear his receptionist speaking with someone, then heading for his door. He quickly looked down as she opened the door.

"Dr. Cullen? Sir, I am sorry, but there is a Dr. Sinclair here, from Finder Incorporated. She says you have an appointment."

'Dr. Sinclair? Finder, Inc.?' Carlisle froze. It was that woman, the one from the night when Bella …nearly died, the night he received the flash drive with the data…she did say she would be in touch, he thought with a bit of chagrin, but he had hoped that the long months meant that she was truly gone. All these thoughts flowed through his mind at the incredible speed of thought normal to a vampire and his momentary pause was so slight that his human receptionist never even noticed.

"Hhhmmm? Oh, yes, yes, Ms. Freeman, send Dr. Sinclair in. I must have forgotten about our appointment. I am so sorry. You won't need to stay late, I've got this covered." Carlisle smiled slightly at his receptionist and she broke into a big smile.

"Thanks, Dr. C. See you tomorrow."

Ms. Freeman passed to woman coming into Carlisle's office. "He just forgot, you were right, go on in", she babbled as she exited.

"Dr. Cullen, I am so sorry that I forgot to call and confirm our appointment today. I hope it is no inconvenience", said Finder, just loudly enough to ensure that Lucy Freeman heard every word. Carlisle matched her tone. "No, no, not at all. Esme and I had discussed your arrival, but today it simply slipped my mind," said Carlisle as he rose from his desk and crossed to shake her hand, speaking equally loudly enough to ensure that Lucy Freeman's gossip wouldn't be about Dr. Cullen and some mystery woman, but about how hard Dr. Cullen worked, and how he sometimes forgot to mention appointments. And that story wouldn't hurt his masquerade as human any at all.

Sinclair, or Finder, closed the door behind her and draped her coat across the table near the door. She wore a grey suit, long tunic with stand-up collar and wide trousers with some sort of low-heeled boot, and a brooch with an emerald the size of a quarter surrounded by pearls and diamonds in old gold adorned the left side of the collar. She wore an intaglio sapphire ring on one hand, and a heavy gold signet, though Carlisle could not make out the design, on the other. Very expensive antiques, thought Carlisle, very expensive indeed. Finder smiled a little, allowing Carlisle to finish his scrutiny. She carried a shoulder strap leather briefcase and the coat across his table was long, black and cashmere.

'So there is money there,' he thought, 'money and a liking for nice things, and what else? She looks…tired, though, more tired that the last time I saw her.' Carlisle said, "Why are you here?"

"No time for niceties?"

"No", said Carlisle, troubled by rudeness, but not enough to wait for answers.

"How is your research going?"

"My...research is at a dead end. I have studied everything you gave me, and found out a bit more, but working only from archival sources simply isn't enough. I have to have a sample of that virus to get anything done!" He pinched the bridge of his nose with his long fingers and closed his eyes. "The virus is an incredibly nasty one, with a potential mortality rate of 100%. Why, oh why did you come to _me_ with this?"

Finder sat across from Carlisle and placed her briefcase carefully on the floor. "Dr. Carlisle, I am so sorry for this, but believe me, there is no one else in this world with the practical knowledge, the experience, the insight, and the force of character to accomplish the purchase of a chance for this world. If this virus isn't defeated, this world will die, and everyone in it."

"After what happened in Phoenix, I believe that you are something outside my experience, something I cannot begin to understand, but truly, Dr. Sinclair, or Finder, or whatever your name is, I cannot simply continue to take you on faith."

"I know, sir. I came prepared to answer many of your questions. Do you have your bio-containment unit at your estate completed?"

"Dr. Sinclair, no one can privately own a bio-containment unit without proper licensing and regulation. How could I…?" He stopped at the small smile on the woman's face. "Sorry. Dropping the pretenses is harder than it sounds, isn't it? Yes, I have the unit completed. I knew I had to have a sample of that virus to continue, and that made a lab mandatory. Not much equipment yet, because I don't have a clue what I will need until I have a chance to examine a sample of that virus. I was preparing to go to Southeast Asia myself to get it."

"Not necessary, sir," said Finder, opening the briefcase. She pulled out a metal box the size of a hardback book. "I brought a sample for you." At Carlisle's instinctive withdrawal, she smiled again. "This box generates a stasis field, unknown in your world. It holds the virus inert. Additionally, the vial is safety packed. One could transport Ebola this way, at no risk whatsoever. Nothing short of a fusion reactor could break the stasis field. Get the box into a bio-containment unit, tap in the code here, and it will open. Then undo the safety measures until you get to the vial."

"Just what is it you expect me to discover, Dr…whatever your name is?" asked Carlisle brusquely. He was tired of this puzzle and of the memory hanging over him. He could never share, never tell anyone that his daughter Bella, his beloved son's wife, was not the first Bella, was in fact from another world, a world where she would have died until rescued through the actions of this woman. It wearied him. After all they had been through, after all his family had endured, he wanted nothing more than peace for them all. And the puzzle this woman had handed him, the enigma that she was, meant that peace was not at hand. It meant that his family was not safe, that danger still lurked just outside the safe barrier they had built around their lives.

"I told you, Dr. Carlisle, that I believe you can save this entire world. I still believe it." She sat, leaned back into the chair, and waited.

"You think this virus threatens the entire world?" The woman nodded, watching Carlisle closely as he continued. "I need, I must have more information. This virus – it is like nothing I have ever seen before. I can't explore the RNA sequencing; I can't determine the enzymatic coding….If I didn't know better, I would think it was not even native to this world."

"That is because it isn't. From this world, I mean." Finder gazed at the nearly four-hundred year old vampire calmly. "It was transported here by…another like me, working for the Volturi."

"What?!? Impossible!" Carlisle was deeply shocked.

The small woman sighed deeply. "Dr. Carlisle, we cannot reveal that we met in Phoenix nearly two years ago, but there is no reason the rest of this story cannot be shared with your family."

"You want to involve my family in this?" asked Carlisle, slight menace coloring his voice.

"I told you in the beginning that your family is part of this. Without Edward and Bella, and young Reneesmee, there will be no salvation for your world. This evil has already been unleashed in your world. For all intents and purposes, we are nearly out of time. People are already dying, Dr. Carlisle. It is only a matter of time before this juggernaut becomes unstoppable."

Carlisle watched her as she spoke; searching for all the infinitesimal clues humans unknowingly send out, but there was nothing. Nothing in her face, her voice, her body language, her eyes, nothing but weary honesty and determination.

"You told me that Edward would not remember what really happened that night in Phoenix, and neither would Bella. So far, they have not. No one knows about that night but I. No one grieves for Bella but I, and I will not have that change. If they see you, will either of them remember?"

"Not at all. For them, those memories simply do not exist. Their brains were actually altered to the extent that that part of the experience is not merely locked away, but no longer exists for them. They will never be aware of the tiny gap in their memories, in part because the trauma of the experience is strong enough that this minute gap is not cognitively recognized. And the charm I gave you will continue to protect you from young Edward's gift, as well as that of any other person who has the remotest shred of telepathy."

Carlisle thought for a moment, weighing her answer. He wondered if his son Jasper would detect the guilt he still felt over the secrets he had been holding for so long, but decided that he could manage an explanation for Jasper that would satisfy any questions. "Very well. Let us adjourn to my home. I will call them and tell them to expect a visitor."

"No need to call – you daughter Alice is dialing at this moment…" and Carlisle's cell rang. He looked at the ID and saw that it was indeed Alice.

"Yes?"

"Carlisle, who is this woman you are bringing home? Esme is already cooking, since Jacob and Seth are here, and she wants to know if she needs to set up a guest bedroom." Carlisle's eyebrows crept upward as he speculated. Could this woman be …gifted…in some way not readily apparent? She nodded slightly as she said, "Tell her thank you, and yes, I will be glad to accept the hospitality." The woman grinned tiredly. "And no, I am not put off by staying in a house filled with vampires, half-vampires and shape-shifters. I have stayed with far more dangerous people, I assure you."

At Carlisle's look of disbelief, she smiled again. "There are people more dangerous than the Cullen family, Dr. Carlisle. There really are."

Carlisle shook his head and hung up, knowing Alice heard everything, as the woman stood and shrugged into her coat. "Shall I meet you at your home, sir?"

"You no doubt know where we live…" Carlisle began, and she nodded. "It would be unusual if we did not walk to the parking lot together. I customarily walk my visitors back to their vehicles."

Finder smiled and pulled on black gloves from the pocket of the shearling coat she wore. She shrugged into the shoulder strap of the briefcase as Carlisle picked up the box, handling it uncertainly. "Truly, sir, it is totally safe. I will carry it if you have doubts."

Carlisle shook his head and pushed the box into his own briefcase, then grabbed his own unnecessary coat and pulled it on over his lab whites. "No, I can manage it. Come, let us depart." He held the door for her and they headed silently out to the parking lot. It was a small hospital, and a small parking lot, so even though Sinclair or Finder or whomever she was didn't have physician's privileges, it wouldn't be a long walk between the separate parking areas. Carlisle was deep in thought as they walked, and the woman seemed comfortable with silence. He noted his dark blue M-class Mercedes across the lot, and pressed the automatic ignition button to start the car, just as any human wanting a warm vehicle would do. "Where did you park?" he asked and the woman gestured toward a gorgeous car that looked as if it could break the sound barrier. It was a Bugatti Veyron 16.4 concept car, all black, and even Carlisle was briefly stunned. One of the most expensive, fastest and best-designed cars in the world, and it was sitting here, in the parking lot at Forks Memorial Hospital. He couldn't help but grin as he pictured the reactions of some of his children when that car rolled up their driveway.

She pulled out her control switch and started the car as they approached it, and her grin got wider as Carlisle didn't bother to hide his profound automobile envy. "You have some car here," he commented.

"Yes, you could say that, couldn't you?" She all but chuckled aloud as she opened the door and slid inside. "I will see you at your home, Dr. Carlisle." The door sealed shut and the car purred away from Carlisle as he stood there, gaping. He sprinted, at human speed, for his own vehicle, and drove away. 'What have we gotten into now?' he wondered silently. 'And how badly will we be hurt getting out of it?'


	3. Chapter 3

Ch. 3

The black Bugatti was sitting in front of his home as Carlisle drove up to the house. He thought, _Edward, send the others out. No trouble, but they will want to see this_, and smiled as his family began appearing in the drive. Finder got out of the car at the appearance of the others, but stood, leaning against the door and smiling as they approached the car with something like reverence.

"Oh, my God….." whispered Rosalie.

"Whooaaa!" shouted Emmett. "123 miles per hour in 6 seconds. Six!"

Edward smiled, and shook his head at the thoughts going through his brother's mind. Auto-lust was the very least of the family's reaction to the sleek black sports car.

"I didn't know these were available in America, or anywhere, actually," said Jasper to Edward.

"Money has its uses," said Finder/Sinclair drolly.

"Wow, what a car!" squealed Alice.

"Yes, it is rather nice, if I do say so myself," Finder/Sinclair grinned. "Want to try it out?"

"Whoo-eee, yes! Look at that sweet baby!" shouted Jake as he and another boy trotted from behind the house.

"Children, children," chided Esme, coming down the porch with Bella and Reneesme beside her. "Where are your manners? Carlisle has brought home a guest, and while she may be gracious enough to allow you to drive her car, you ought to at least introduce yourselves."

Carlisle stepped up beside Finder and said, "Allow me to introduce my car-addicted family", and everyone laughed. "This is Emmet and his wife, Rosalie; Alice and her husband, Jasper; Edward and his wife Bella, their daughter Reneesme; and Jacob and Seth. And this is my wife, Esme."

Finder clasped her hands lightly in front and bowed slightly over them. "It is an honor to meet each of you. I am called Finder."

"Welcome, Finder, to our home. Won't you come inside?" asked Esme.

"Yes, thank you. Unlike all of you, I am not immune to the cold and damp this time of year," Finder laughed, tugging the collar of her coat closer with her gloved hands. Startled at this veiled reference to what they were, all eyes turned to Carlisle, who simply shook his head slightly and shrugged. He glanced at Edward, whose minute lift of his eyebrow told Carlisle that his mind-reading son couldn't read Finder's mind. Carlisle gave a tiny nod of understanding as the family crowded around the unique car. Looking at each other, curiosity and car envy warring on their faces, they followed Carlisle's lead and ignored the comment.

Esme led Finder up the steps as Carlisle followed, but at the door, Finder turned and made a perfect throw of the ignition control to Rosalie. "Enjoy your drive." Rosalie made a perfect catch and the others stood dumfounded at her luck.

"Well, don't just stand there – who's going first?" shouted Jake.

Carlisle and Esme closed the door on the friendly clamor. "You've made a conquest of my entire family," he commented.

"I like fine automobiles." Finder shrugged. "It is nice to meet other auto-philes." Finder found that she liked Cullens on first acquaintance – no surprise, as she respected Carlisle a great deal and could not imagine him having less than exceptional people as family. Which was, as she very well knew, exceedingly important to her mission here.

Carlisle gestured for Finder to precede him through the door and she stepped into their home. She shrugged out of her coat, and Esme took it to hang it up, chattering. "I am certain that you did not intend for our children to just drive off in your car…"

"Oh, but I did," Finder grinned. "I don't think there could have been anything more certain to get me a hearing, and the serious consideration this situation requires, than a little bribery by auto."

Esme looked a little nonplussed at this, but Carlisle smiled. "Certainly, our family loves fine automobiles, and that Bugatti is really special. Won't you come in, and sit by the fire?"

"Thank you. I appreciate your efforts to make me comfortable."

"Oh, would you like some hot tea or perhaps something else?" asked Esme.

"Tea would be lovely. Thank you so much. I know you don't drink tea yourselves, but…." Another reference to their real natures, but since Carlisle ignored it, so did Esme.

"Jacob and Reneesme and some of the others do", commented Carlisle.

"And Esme and I have found we truly enjoy cooking and preparing human foods in our kitchen."

Finder tilted her head. "You are a surprise, Dr. Carlisle, truly you are."

Esme returned with a tea setting on a silver tray and placed it near Finder.

"Would you like me to pour or are you comfortable doing that?"

"This is your home, Madame Esme, and your graciousness is charming. Please, do pour. I like lemon only in my tea."

Clearly complimented, Esme sat and poured the tea into a delicately beautiful china cup, tipped in a paper-thin slice of lemon, and handed the cup and saucer to Finder. Finder sat back on the sofa, looking out the window and the magnificent view, and sipped the tea silently. Carlisle and Esme exchanged a look, an almost imperceptible nod, and sat waiting.

"Thank you, Madame Esme. The tea is excellent and most restorative."

"You are welcome, Finder. Would you like to go up to your room now, or wait for the others?"

"Since my baggage is in the boot of my car, I feel it prudent to wait," Finder paused. "However long that may be."

Carlisle and Esme both chuckled. "I admit to a bit of auto-envy myself," he said. "Not to worry, Dr. Carlisle, I wouldn't let your family drive my car only to deny you. Would hardly be fair."

Esme's tinkling laugh rang out as she chided, "Carlisle, my love, your jealousy over that car is written all over your face!"

Carlisle ran his hand over his face and grinned. "I guess it is. I didn't know it was even available for purchase yet."

"Well, it isn't. Yet." Finder sat, smiling complacently.

Again, Carlisle and Esme's eyes met, wondering about their strange guest.

Finder gazed out across the mountains and sighed. "Is the hunting good here, Dr. Carlisle?"

Esme gasped slightly, but Carlisle said blandly, "Yes, very good. My family and I monitor the wildlife population here, and are careful to target groups with excess animals. We work very hard to avoid any negative environmental impact." Esme's eyes darted back and forth between her husband and their guest, full of questions.

"I should think you would have to, to keep your lower profile. A significant drop in animal populations might trigger investigations."

"It has happened to others in other areas. It is easier on the West coast, or in the mountains." Carlisle commented calmly, despite his awareness of what the innocuous question and comment actually indicated about this woman's knowledge of his family.

"I am curious, though. Might I ask a question?"

"Certainly," Carlisle answered.

"Why do you not keep domesticated animals to serve your needs, at least part of the time?"

Carlisle actually chuckled. This was not a question he had anticipated, but he did have an answer. "We have tried that, and, in some cases, it will do for ….emergency measures. The fact is that we have instincts that pressure us to hunt for our food, and hunting animals makes it easier to avoid hunting humans. Domesticated animals, such as cattle and sheep, don't usually require hunting."

"I take it you haven't hunted many feral cattle or pigs, then."

"Actually, both Jasper and Emmet have, in the South, but I have not yet had the privilege."

"Feral and wild pigs are the most dangerous creatures I have ever hunted, barring tigers that have taken to hunting humans. And of course, humans."

"You have hunted, then?" asked Esme.

"Not as you do, Madame Esme, but yes, I have hunted all sorts of creatures. Pig sticking in India was one of the most dangerous sports I have ever engaged in."

"Pig sticking?" asked Esme.

"Hunting 200-pound wild pigs from the back of a horse with a spear," explained Carlisle.

"Oh…my," breathed Esme, wide-eyed. "You must have such an interesting life."

Finder laughed aloud, a full, throaty laugh. "Yes, Madame Esme, you could say that, yes indeed, you could."

"Might I ask a question in turn, Finder?" asked Carlisle.

"Certainly. Curiosity should never be one-sided, don't you think?"

"Why is it that I cannot sense you, except visually and auditorially? I can hear your voice, and some of your movements, but not your breathing, your heartbeat, your blood moving in your veins….you have an astonishingly low heat signature and absolutely no scent whatsoever. How is this?" Carlisle was genuinely interested. However this was done, if he could duplicate the process, perhaps he could help others of his kind, even his own family members, have stronger control over their predator's instincts.

"Dr. Carlisle, one should not deal with vampires and shape-shifters without some precaution," laughed Finder. "It is much easier to have a civilized conversation if one's hearers aren't thinking about drinking one's blood."

Esme's shocked laughter was a little shaky, but Carlisle threw his head back and simply laughed. "True, too true, Finder."

"Actually, this…effect is a form of psychic gift, rather like Miss Bella's shield. I have the ability to mask my presence from anyone or anything. I can conceal myself from most electronic devices, and virtually every living thing I have encountered, should I need to do so. Of course, that precludes conversation, meaningful contact, that sort of thing."

"Does that mean it cannot be replicated or taught?" asked Carlisle, with only a hint of disappointment in his tone.

"Not necessarily. It cannot be replicated, but to a degree, it can be taught. It takes time, but it can be done. Human hunters and fisherman do something like this all the time."

"Any specialized techniques for teaching this skill?"

"At this level, yes. Visualization, teaching aids, and a lot of practice, you know, one with the stone sort of thing. I once spent a great deal of time in a monastery in Tibet."

"Ah," responded Carlisle thoughtfully. "So humans who learned this could be safer around us than they are dependent solely upon our control."

"Most definitely."

Esme said, "I can see this being of great use to us, Carlisle."

"So can I, my love." Carlisle's superior hearing allowed him to add, "I believe the children are returning with your car, Finder."

"Do you think they will actually give it back, Carlisle?" grinned Esme.

"That isn't my concern, dear. My concern is how much it is going to cost us to get cars like that for everyone." Carlisle and Esme laughed together, and Finder watched them while finishing her tea.

Shortly after, the front door opened and the Cullen family trooped into the house, congregating in the living room, draping across couches and chairs. "Man," shouted Emmet, "that is one sswweett ride!!!"

"I just can't believe the handling," gushed Rosalie. "I want one of those, I really do!" Carlisle and Esme smiled at each other, a very private smile. "Rosalie, I am sure we can manage to get something like that, very soon. Just be patient."

"Well, _one _car like that won't be enough, and a fleet of them would…." Jasper stopped mid-sentence, darting a quick glance at their guest.

"Would totally blow keeping a lower profile?" finished Finder, smiling.

The entire family, excepting Carlisle and Esme, stared at this strange, well-dressed woman who exuded confidence, sitting in the middle of a room full of vampires. "Yes, I know who – and what - you are. Not to worry: the prohibitions about humans who know about you do not apply to me. Aro and I have had dealings in the past."

If the quiet at her first words had been noticeable, the silence here was overwhelming. "And please, young Edward and Jasper, do not bother using your gifts on me – I am not vulnerable to those particular skills of yours."

The Cullens looked at each other in shock, and then, all eyes turned to Carlisle. Smiling, he said, "I don't know about her dealings with Aro, but Finder does know who and what we are. She and I have had some dealings in the past, shortly after you came into our lives, Bella, and she started me on a very interesting research program. That is, however, all I know about her. Based on the information she gave me, I am prepared to both listen to her and to give her story, whatever it may be, serious consideration." He squeezed Esme's shoulder and they settled back onto the sofa, faint smiles on their faces.

"Please, everyone, get comfortable. I have to tell you enough of this story, this history, for you to understand that the problem I have brought to Dr. Carlisle, and to you, is very, very real." Finder gazed around the room, sipping her tea. Bella and Edward sat on the sofa nearest Esme, with Reneesme on the floor, her head against Edward's knees. Jacob sat next to Reneesme, with Seth at the end of the sofa, leaning against the wall. Jasper and Alice were curled together in a large chair near the window and Emmett and Rosalie sat on the loveseat, nearest Carlisle. Finder leaned back in the chair closest to the fire and tilted her head against the chair back. She sighed deeply. "For you to believe me, I must establish my bonafides, and it shan't be easy. You have no reason to trust me. Those of you with psychic gifts find me a blind spot, using your vampire senses tells you nothing, and you know absolutely nothing of me. I walk into your lives with a nice car and a story, and only the fact that Dr. Carlisle and I have been in contact before allows me a hearing. Yet it is absolutely vital that you and I ally together to defeat the most serious crisis your world has ever faced. The Cullens studied this woman making these preposterous statements, and only Carlisle's acceptance of her and his calm attitude allowed them to refrain from outright disbelief.

"This is a very complicated story. I will tell you what I can, and answer what questions I can at the end. However, there are many things I either cannot tell you, or simply do not know at this time." She raised her head and looked each of them in the eyes, slowly. "And much of this story you will find incredible, outrageous. Those are likely the aspects both most factual, and most true." Judging her words carefully, she added, "It will seem like something out of a novel, a poorly written, science fiction or fantasy novel, but what I am going to tell you is true. To convince you of what I have to say, I must start at the beginning, my beginning, which is a thing I have not done in many, many years."


	4. Chapter 4

**CH. 4**

"My name is St. James Katharine deMolay de Sinclair." At Carlisle's raised brows, she smiled. "Yes. _That _deMolay was my uncle. Well, great half-uncle, actually. I was born on All Saints Day, 1287, in Burgundy, near Dijon. And before you ask, I have no idea if my aging process was different at birth. My mother died of childbed fever, and I was raised by my father and his …brothers. It was, to say the least, a very unorthodox childhood."

"That is impossible," said Bella. "You cannot possibly be more than seven hundred years old."

"And you are an expert on what is and is not possible, Miss Bella?" queried Finder gently. Had Bella been able to blush, she would have been crimson, for she herself had fallen into the impossible, and married him.

"Gotcha there, Bells," said Jake, grinning.

"Well, not everything _is _possible," grumped Rosalie. "But a seven hundred year old _human_ does stretch the limits."

"My dear, you have not begun to have your beliefs tested, not yet." Finder was, to the Cullens, unaccountably and suddenly…_other._ A slight stiffening of their bodies indicated that on some instinctive level they perceived this woman as a threat. A wave of peace flowed through the room, and Finder smiled at Jasper. "Thank you, but truly, it is ineffective on my behalf."

"Not for you, ma'am, but for me," Jasper answered. "It was suddenly very intense in here. I needed the break."

His siblings laughed and the atmosphere lightened.

"Please, continue. You were saying that Jacques deMolay was your uncle?" prompted Carlisle. "You do mean _the_ Jacques deMolay?"

"I do," answered Finder. "And this story will get quite a bite stranger before we are done."

"I personally find the idea of a seven hundred year old human strange enough," chimed in Emmett.

"As you should, young Emmett. It is, indeed, strange. And the rest of this story is equally strange."

"Who the heck was Jacques deMolay, and why is this important?" asked Seth.

Edward answered, "Jacques deMolay was the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar. He was executed by the king of France in 1314, after the suppression of the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, the Pauperes Commilitones Christi Templique Solomonici."

"The Knights Templar? You're telling us that your uncle was the leader of the Knights Templar?" shouted Emmett. "What a load of…." He caught Esme's look, "…crap. Knights Templar." He snorted.

"The Knights have not been a force in this world for centuries," commented Jasper. "Well, that is what the books say, Jazz, but we know that books aren't always correct, and they don't tell everything, now do they?" asked Alice, a none-too-subtle reminder of the annoyance Jasper felt when reading most books written about the American Civil War, a war in which he had been an active participant. Jasper reluctantly shook his head at his wife, who smiled and took his hand.

"They do not, Miss Alice. And in this case, most certainly they do not," said Finder.

"Man, this is like outta some dumb movie" complained Jake. "Mysterious women, Knights Templar, cool cars. What's next, some guys on horseback trying to kill us?"

"Naw, naw, wrong movie, Jake. What's next is some guys trying to find the Holy Grail or some treasure," laughed Seth.

Finder gazed at the two shapeshifters calmly. "You aren't that far off the mark, young sirs. The Grail does play a part in this story, though it isn't the pivotal point. The story begins with the Templars because I began there, but this is not a Templar story. This is far, far more than that."

"Holy Grail? Templars? Movies? I don't understand. Grandpa Carlisle, what is going on here?" Reneesme had been silent until now, but her question rang though the room.

"You are about to learn why a Knight of the Temple of Solomon, a _female _knight, is sitting in your living room, asking your help to save your world."

The Cullens were dumfounded. They stared at one another, and at the strange woman, doubting her claims, doubting her barely begun story, doubting it all. Finder sighed again. She held up her hands, staring at them, turning them back and forth against the light coming through the giant windows of the living room.

"When does a person…stop being human? Where does honor end? At what point is betrayal not simply impossible, but the only recourse?" she wondered aloud. "I have lived longer than any of you, seen terrible and wonderful things, and still, I do not have the answer." Behind her, the Cullens were silent, searching each other's faces as they listened. Carlisle could see what his family was thinking. Like him, predators attuned to the unspoken reactions of their prey, they could hear the restrained emotion, the raw truth in this woman's words. He could see their curiosity. It made no sense, her story. It just could not be, and yet, Carlisle saw in their eyes that no one was ready to dismiss this strange, small woman out of hand. Which was, of itself, a very unusual thing: when one hides the majority of one's life, one's very self from the world, one does not trust anyone easily. Carlisle shook his head slightly and Esme raised her brows in query. He smiled reassuringly at her, and turned back to their guest, who was standing with her back to the room, staring out at the growing darkness. Absently she turned the teacup round and round on the saucer, quietly, her mind far away. Without turning to watch their reactions, she continued her story.

"I was raised, mostly in my mother's family lands in Scotland, by men sworn to the Templars. My father was illegitimate, and could not actually be a knight, but he took the vows of a lay brother after my mother died. The Order knew trouble was coming. My father, Jean, became indispensible to my uncle's plans, as did I. Being born legitimate, my only bar was being female, but the brothers acted as if I were simply a small- boned man, and so did I. I received an education the likes of which few persons of my time, and certainly even fewer women could even dream of. I was taught Latin, Greek, Arabic, Hebrew, French, English and Scots. History, mathematics, music, literature, philosophy, alchemy and theology were my academic pursuits and there was daily martial training from the time I could walk. Some of the greatest teachers of the time came to the quiet priories to teach me. Some stayed, others came and went, but always, the training, the intense, unremitting training continued. It was all part of the plan.

"And then came the year 1307. My uncle knew, as did the entire Order, what was being discussed. They had known for years that someone would move against them, and had been planning their response the whole time. You must remember – these were the finest military strategists, the greatest financial geniuses of the entire western world. The Templars had the largest, most efficient spy network in the world. They knew what was coming. And they had a plan."

"You know," said Jasper into the pause, "I always wondered about that. I mean, as a military man myself, I always found it hard to believe that the Templars were simply caught flat-footed by the suppression. It never made sense. Military men, capable competent military men, men with far-reaching contacts throughout the world, just never seemed the type to be caught by surprise. Overwhelmed by numbers, maybe, but not surprised like that."

Finder turned from the window, assessing Jasper closely. "Young Jasper, scholars over the centuries have argued that very point. And you are correct: the Templars were not caught by surprise. Indeed, those who died went to their deaths protecting the plan, some in knowledge, some in ignorance, but martyrs to their beliefs. You see, the Templars held power, not solely because of their military might. The Templars held power because they held knowledge, secrets, mysteries….and knowledge is the greatest power of all."

"I believe love is the greatest power of all," said Edward softly.

"Young Edward, there can be no love without knowledge."

"She's right," said Bella softly. "You have to know who you are to recognize your soul mate. You have to know his worth, his value, and your own, and you can't have that without knowledge."

"Babies love without knowledge," said Reneesme.

"No," said Bella softly. "Babies don't love until they know something about themselves. Babies don't love until they understand that other people are actually separate, not simply an extension of the baby, like fingers or toes."

She smiled at Reneesme. "Some babies learn that amazingly quickly, but it is still knowledge that enables love." The family looked at each other, watched Edward and Bella's eyes meet, and even Jacob and Seth smiled. This family recognized a powerful Truth when they heard it, even coming from a stranger. Knowledge, awareness is indeed what makes love possible.

"So the Templars had some powerful secret and that got you here? You and the hot car?" said Jacob sarcastically.

"What's next, secret code words and hidden treasures?' added Seth.

"Jacob, Seth, manners," warned Esme, but Finder laughed. "Yes, young Jacob, young Seth. In a word, yes."

"So what, there's a treasure and some big secret? " asked Seth curiously.

"Just tell us," grumped Emmett.

"Secrets like this aren't that simple, Seth," cautioned Carlisle. "And if the secret itself is simple, what it can mean to the world may not be." "Indeed, Dr. Carlisle, indeed," agreed Finder.

"So what was the big plan, then? And how come it didn't work all that well? Where's the treasure?" asked Emmet. "And didn't all the Templars get killed, burned at the stake or something?"

Finder's face changed, a terrible wrath and grief etched in lines that suddenly appeared. Jasper recoiled from her ugly emotions and Esme squeezed Carlisle's hand tightly. Alice stroked Jasper's back as Finder continued. "Oh, yes, many died. After torture, after starvation, after deprivation, yes, many were burned at the state, some were hanged, and others died under questioning. They confessed, they repented and they died. They died, oh, yes, they died. They were falsely accused of heresy by a king who wanted rid of his debt, rid of the threat he believed the Templars posed to his reign. And so he killed them, that damned Philip le Belle. And they died, many ignorant of the truth but loyal, nonetheless, and their courage protected the final plan of the Templars, a plan that brought me here, to you."

Edward held his silence, weighing and observing carefully. The effect of this woman's story, her very presence on his family worried him. How was it that a room full of vampires and shapeshifters sat in companionable attention, listening to a total stranger weave fantastic tales? He shook his head slightly, straining to hear even an echo of Finder's thoughts, but still drawing a total blank.

"So, what, seven hundred years later, Templars are running around, saving the world or something?" Jacob snorted.

"After a fashion, yes. There were thirteen of us, actually, knighted on September 29, the Feast of the Archangels Michael, Raphael and Gabriel. One man for each of the disciples and one woman, for the Apostle to the Apostle, Mary the Magdalene. Our knighting included drinking from the Holy Grail, giving us a form of immortality. A woman had never been knighted before, but when we were sworn, after Jacques DeMolay explained the plan to us, it was clearly inevitable that I was part of the Templar Solution."

"You drank from the Grail and that made you immortal?" asked Carlisle.

"It is not immortality as you vampires, and you shape-shifters, experience it, but drinking from the Grail greatly slowed the aging process, and greatly accelerated my natural healing processes. I can be killed, but it is damnably difficult," Finder explained.

"I thought the Holy Grail was the bloodline of Jesus," said Jasper.

"It is both a Cup and a cup, young Jasper. As I said, secrets and mysteries"

"Oh, good God! Nobody can be taking this crap seriously!" Rosalie shouted, glaring at her family. "Holy Grail! Jesus' family! Good God! We've got this weirdo in our living room telling us that she's a seven hundred year-old Templar with treasure and secrets and she needs our help to save the world! Bullshit!"

"Rosalie!" exclaimed Esme, shocked.

"Don't look at me like that, Esme! We don't know anything about her, we don't know what she wants, and then she gives us some stupid fairy tale about Templars and knights and secrets…it's like every other stupid conspiracy theory! Just because she let me drive that incredible car doesn't mean that I believe a single word she says! And don't you dare try to calm me down, Jasper! She is a threat to us, and until we get some real answers, I am not gonna calm down!"

"Rosalie, I have good reason to believe that Finder is not a threat to us," temporized Carlisle.

"Reasons you won't share with us. And what kind of stupid name is Finder anyway," grumped Rosalie.

Finder laughed. It was a hearty, throaty laugh, the sort of laugh that invites the hearer to share a secret joke. The Cullens, despite themselves, smiled or chuckled, even Rosalie.

"Well, sorry, but this is all just so much crap until we have some way of verifying what we have been told. I mean, anybody could make up a story like this. History books, movies, fiction…anybody can make nearly any crazy claim about the Templars and nobody can prove anything one way or the other. And we haven't been told enough, not by a long shot," she warned Finder.

"No offense taken, Miss Rosalie, for you are correct. You haven't received enough information, you don't know what is going on, and you have no way of being certain of who, or what, I am. You are correct to be protective of your family and your lives here. I am here to ask you to risk everything, everything you hold dear, everything you believe in, your lives and the lives of your loved ones, to help me save this world. If we are discovered, by any one of a number of persons, we may die before we can do anything to help ourselves, much less the world we are trying to save. And let me assure "this is truly nothing less than the fate of this world."

"Ah, 'fate of the world', my ass," said Jacob scornfully. "I mean, this is an interesting story and all, but can we just get to the point? Like now, before supper?"

"Oh, Jacob, this is way more important that supper," grinned Reneesme.

"I don't know about anybody else, but I really want to hear the rest of the story," said Seth quietly.

"Let her finish, then," suggested Jasper. "Then we can decide what is going on here. I can tell you that she believes what she is telling us is the truth."

"You mean she isn't lying to us, right?" asked Emmett.

"No lies. Unbelievable story, but she isn't lying. She is holding plenty back, but so far…." Jasper broke off at Finder's gaze. "Sorry, ma'am, but I can read your emotions when you stop blocking me."

"I know. I thought having an empath confirm my veracity would help your family hear me out."

"So finish this story already," said Reneesme. "You just got to the interesting part."


	5. Chapter 5

Stephanie Meyer owns _Twilight._ The rest is all mine.

Ch. 5

Finder leant back in the chair and sipped her tea. "Ah, yes, the interesting part….The plan was as simple as possible: protect the Templar treasures and carry out our promise, our mission to protect pilgrims. You may not know, but pilgrim is not always a word with religious connotations. It also means traveler. The discoveries the Templars made in the Holy Land led them to conclude that those travelling through life merited the term, thus bringing all people, all sentient species, into the Templar oath to protect pilgrims on their path to enlightenment. This happened shortly after the knights moved out of the Holy Lands. After many years, they realized that someone in power would someday move against them, and that their knowledge could be perverted to great evil. They determined to find a way to protect both their knowledge and their cause. After all, the Templars came to regard themselves as the guardians of the entire human race, both burdened and blessed with a sacred responsibility. They searched the ancient knowledge and devised a plan, a plan that could evolve over centuries. They created a financial empire that spanned the known world, making them the first truly multinational business, and incredibly rich in the process. They then began searching out special children to raise, sealed to the Templar cause."

"So they deliberately set out to get rich?" asked Alice.

"Indeed, for in that time, as in most times, great wealth equals great power. Wealth can purchase tools, privacy, privilege, all the things the Templars needed if their mission was to carry forward for the future. They thought in long terms, those men. Centuries instead of decades. And wealth could buy what those special children would need."

"Special children?" asked Esme.

"Gifted children, Madame Esme. Humankind has always had those with rare gifts. In the earliest human societies, the gifted ones became shamans or seers or priests. When the old beliefs began to die out, or be superseded, the attitude about gifted humans changed. It became dangerous to be known as a person with unusual abilities. Gifts were either ignored or suppressed because fewer human societies accepted the paranormal. In fourteenth century Europe, the inability to hide those gifts resulted in death, at either the hands of the Church or those of ignorant people."

"They killed people, kids for being different?" asked Reneesme.

"You've read, darling. You know this," said Edward gently.

"Yes, but …." Reneesme broke off, distressed. "_I _am different."

"So are we all," responded Edward. "And strong enough to protect ourselves and each other." Jacob squeezed Reneesme's hand slightly, and she smiled. "I just guess it is just still in my mind. I mean, it hasn't been all that long since we had people trying to kill us because we are different."

"I am aware of your last encounter with the Volturi, Miss Reneesme. They were indeed prepared to destroy you all, for your differences threatened their power. The worst crimes, the most horrible actions, are always about power. And this situation is about power. There are people out there who are willing to risk the entire world to gain power." Finder sighed deeply. "I have never understood the mentality that would rather rule over a charnel house than surrender a sliver of power."

"I have seen the same thing, more than once. I do not understand it either." Carlisle looked sad. "I have seen cruelty beyond imagination, perpetrated against the innocent by those desiring power, ever more power."

"Sometimes, power is about keeping those you love safe," temporized Jasper, squeezing Alice's hand.

"That isn't what they are talking about, Jazz. They are talking about people who want what they want, regardless of the price paid by others, people who want it only for themselves," said Alice, patting his knee softly.

"Sometimes you have the power whether you want it or not," said Seth. "It isn't power that is evil, it's the wanting power for yourself, just for yourself, that is evil."

"Wise, young Seth. Very wise," commented Finder.

"So how does this fit into the magic plan?" asked Jacob, impatient with the philosophical turn of the conversation.

"Well, it wasn't _just_ magic, young Jacob," chuckled Finder.

"Whooee! You mean there is magic in this?" shouted Emmett.

"Now, Emmett, you know there isn't any real magic," chided Esme. She stopped suddenly, and would have blushed had she been able.

"Except for vampires, shape-shifters, were-wolves and all those other mythological beings we keep running into," laughed Bella.

"And now we have magic knights and magic cups and magic secrets…" chanted Reneesme as the family laughed.

"There is far more magic than you have yet to encounter, Madam Esme, Miss Reneesme."

Carlisle objected, "But all of those things just mentioned have scientific explanations, or at least, partial explanations. Jacob's shape shifting is genetic. While the legends indicate a mystical beginning for this trait, there is no doubt that it is genetic."

"I understand your position as a scientist, Dr. Carlisle. Certainly, young Jacob's abilities are genetically linked. But how did they begin? How did this start? Legends ascribe a magical beginning. Who is to say those stories are wrong? As a person born gifted, who has also been touched by profound mystical power, I reserve further comment until we have finished with explanations." Finder drew the conversation back to her story, and Carlisle watched with a frission of disquiet at the ease with which his family accepted this strange woman and her equally strange story. Vampires just didn't deal with outsiders this well. Certainly his family expressed doubt and disbelief. It wasn't that; it was the ease with which they listened, the intensity they focused on this strange small woman and her far-fetched story. Why were they, even he, listening to her at all? It was no paranormal power, he was certain. Perhaps it was the force of intellect, the sense of humor, the honesty in her deep grey eyes. He shook his head slightly as she continued her story.

"As I said earlier, the Templars' plan included finding special children, children with paranormal gifts, and raising them to be the ultimate protectors of the Templar plan, and the Templar treasure. Eventually, there were thirteen of us, born between 1280 and 1290, all across Western Europe and the Middle East, who survived the selection process to adulthood. We were trained, educated, and indoctrinated to be the ultimate Templars. And then, in October of 1307, we were told the plan."

"Geeze. More history lessons?" griped Jacob.

"A bit more, young Jacob. Part of the Templar knowledge included the awareness of parallel worlds. Are you familiar with this theory?"

Carlisle nodded, as did Edward and Jasper, but the others merely looked curious.

"The theory is that there are multiple worlds, similar to our own, but not in all particulars. These worlds are normally inaccessible to each other, parallel but not ever touching. Occasionally, however, there are …leaks, if you will, into the other worlds, usually ascribed to vivid imaginations or dreams."

"You mean there are other worlds just like ours?" asked Reneesme. "And people, just like us?"

Carlisle was growing increasingly uncomfortable with the direction Finder's story had taken. What if Edward and Bella put two and two together? What if they remembered anything from the strange, evil night in Phoenix, the night Bella died, and did not die? What if Edward, who was so busy concentrating on their guest that he did not notice the turn in his father's thoughts, caught a trace of that night from Carlisle's mind? What would happen if anyone realized who, and what, Bella really was? Jasper noticed his increasing discomfort, raising an eyebrow as an offer to calm things down, but Carlisle pretended not to see as Finder continued.

"Yes, and no, Miss Reneesme. Some people have…twins on the other worlds, and some do not. The laws of reality differ between the worlds, growing ever more so the further from Earth Prime you travel."

"Wait a minute. How do you go to these other worlds? How do you know which one is Earth Prime? And how do you know all this?" asked Seth.

"I was born with some very rare gifts, young Seth. One of my gifts enables me to find anything that has, or has had, or will have physical reality, in any dimension. Of course, I cannot find a thing that does not yet exist, but I can find the time and place when it will exist, and be there should I desire. I can find things that no longer exist because the molecules do exist, and retain a…memory, if you will, of what they were. This means that I can travel between the worlds without any effort but my own because I can 'find' the path between."

"Ah, that is why you are the Finder," said Alice complacently. "You _find_ things."

"I do indeed, Miss Alice."

"And how does this work? How did…does your gift make you aware of those other worlds?" asked Carlisle. At last, he felt he might have an explanation for all the mysteries he had lived with since that fateful night in Phoenix.

"Ah, well, that is a bit simpler. Part of the Templar knowledge is the history of the occasional contacts between the worlds. Others before me have been born with the ability to see across the dimensions. There have been others who could travel between the worlds. But my gift of _finding _makes it much easier for me to use the bridges between the worlds to travel between the dimensions. All my life I have found things: lost toys, lost pets, lost buttons, lost coins. While this is not my only gift, it is my strongest. As I grew older, my uncle and others of my teachers used my gift to devise the best solutions for the Templar plan. Often they did this without my knowing. When I was a student, my teachers understood my gift, or at least practical uses for it, better than I. Sometimes what I find isn't a _thing_ but a person who can build, or create the thing for which I am searching. Sometimes, it is a place. I cannot, for example, find _Truth_, because Truth is an abstract. What I can find are the facts that create or demonstrate the Truth, because facts are physical."

"You can find the quantifiable, but not the qualifiable, correct?" asked Carlisle.

"Indeed, Dr. Carlisle. Although the distinction is sometimes not so precise, as in those cases where I must find a person who can find the physical thing for which I am searching. Interdimensional travel is, for me, one aspect of my gift, as are several others things. I do not see the future, like Miss Alice, but I do see the patterns and can draw reasonable conclusions. Training and experience let me reach these conclusions very quickly indeed."

"So you can travel between worlds. Are they all like this one?" asked Esme.

"Yes, and no. In some worlds, there are no mythological or preternatural creatures, except as works of fiction. In others, mythological and preternatural creatures abound. In some, there are creatures of myth as well as humans with paranormal abilities. In others, magic rules, rather than science. In many, time is different. In other words, I could go from this world, where it is the twenty-first century, into another, where it might be the twenty-fifth century. Or the twelfth."

"So what does all this have to do with us? And this saving the world crap? How does all this explain why you are here?" asked Rosalie.

"I swore an oath, and was bound to it through ritual and personal integrity. I am a knight, bound to protect those travelling the path to God. I am in a war against those who would destroy entire species, whole worlds, whether for power or simple stupidity. It is my job to stop these people, wherever I find them. Currently, I am searching for allies against one of my own, against a knight of the Temple who violated every oath he ever swore for power, power to destroy worlds. That is how I got here."

"Just your job, all alone?" asked Reneesme softly.

"Not in the beginning, no. As I said, there were thirteen of us, charged with protecting the worlds. We each had different gifts, similar training, and an oath that bound us. Some of us have died in this war, and others have retired, tired of the unending battle. And there have been, there are some who chose the other path, who have betrayed their oaths. Right now, I find myself in need of allies, allies who are utterly trustworthy, competent, and with the integrity and courage to stand forth for this world. I cannot, this time, do this alone. And that, Miss Rosalie, that is where you Cullens come in. That is how I have found _you_."

"You mean, there are guys like you who have gone over to the dark side?" asked Seth.

"Yes, that is a very good way to put it, young Seth," agreed Finder. "And one of those former Templars threatens this world. I need your help to save it."

"Awright!!! We're gonna save the world!" cheered Emmett, and Rosalie smacked him on the back of his head. "What did you do that for? He complained. "Isn't that why we sat through this whole long story, to get to the part where we save the world?"

Edward spoke up. "Emmett, we don't know yet what we are going to do. And we certainly don't know the rest of this story. Not yet, anyway."

Finder stood and walked to the table, where she poured herself another cup of tea. She stood in front of the huge window, watching the dark creep up the mountains. "Truly, I did not believe everything I was told at my knighting. I drank from a large golden cup. I felt the power called up by the ritual. I had travelled between worlds before, but it seemed surreal, like a dream, not something tangible. I held scrolls and books, I read maps, and was shown some of the truly unbelievable treasures held by my brothers, but nothing could have me believe that night that the Templars would soon be no more. The very night of my knighting, I was hustled onto a ship carrying some of the treasures of the Templars in its hold, a ship that sailed away before dawn. Each of the new knights were secreted out of France, to various locations, each carrying parts of the treasure with them, each with a few trusted brethren to help. And the next day, the entire Order was suppressed and outlawed in France, all the remaining Templars arrested and charged with heresy. They began dying that day."

"So where is the treasure? And those other guys? And what kind of gifts do they have? And which ones will we be facing?" asked Alice, bouncing on the couch. She stopped abruptly, her eyes going blank, and the entire family literally stopped breathing.

Alice opened her eyes, and they had gone from a warm topaz to black. "He is going to the Volturi, to Aro. I can't see his face, but he has a silver briefcase, very small. And Aro is pleased. He thinks this is some sort of weapon. And he has been expecting this for a while now."

The family began to speak all at once, but Finder overrode their voices. "When, Miss Alice? When does this happen?"

"Leave her alone – she needs a minute to recover from one this strong," hissed Jasper.

"No, let her answer, Jazz," directed Carlisle. "This is more important that you know."

"It's ok, Jazz, I can do this. Three months. Give or take a few days."

Finder took a deep breath, blowing it out softly. "Worse than I had hoped, better than I had expected. Three months."

"Let's just get to the point now, shall we?" said Rosalie. "You want us to believe that you are part of some plan to save the world from Aro and some renegade Templar wanna-be, that you have some sort of gifts, that you are over seven hundred years old….sheesh. This is so much crap!" she growled.

The Cullens looked from Rosalie to Finder, doubt plain on their faces. Finder smiled slightly.

"I cannot prove everything all at once, but let's take a couple of small steps. Vampire skin cannot be hurt with conventional weaponry, correct?"

"You know that already," said Rosalie.

"Yes. I am going to slowly remove a small knife from my boot," she said as she crossed her legs, reaching for the heel of her shoe. She unclipped and pulled a knife from the shank of the boot, about five inches long, with a plain black grip and an odd colored blade. She slowly handed the knife to Carlisle. "Dr Carlisle, this is very sharp. If you have a volunteer, please make a small cut, merely enough to prove the point that none of you have ever seen anything like this knife."

Carlisle took the knife, hefting it in his hands. "Fine balance," he commented, "but very light-weight, lighter than it should be."

"It isn't steel, Dr. Carlisle. It is an all-but-impervious metal found in another world. Nothing, nothing can resist this metal. It is forged in a nuclear furnace. Nothing else can even begin to shape this metal. It will resist even low-power lasers. And it will cut vampire skin."

"Yeah, right," said Emmet scornfully. "I volunteer, Carlisle. See if you can cut me with that itty bitty knife."

"The blade is far sharper than it seems, Dr. Carlisle. A tiny cut, one that will heal quickly and easily, is sufficient demonstration."

Carlisle held the knife in his hand, weighing it, weighing the situation. Esme asked, "Do we have to do this?"

"No, Madame Esme, we do not. But this is a quick, relatively painless demonstration that something here is different, wouldn't you say?" asked Finder.

"Well, yes, but…" Esme looked worried, concerned for Emmett, concerned for Carlisle, concerned for her family.

"Don't worry, Esme. It won't hurt a bit, Carlisle here is a professional," laughed Emmett, rolling up his sleeve and extending his arm. Carlisle sighed and took Emmett's arm. He eyed the blade, then made a swift stroke along Emmett's forearm. The skin split slightly, and a bit of venom oozed out the shallow cut.

"Wow!" said Emmett admiringly. "Where can I get a knife like this?"

Carlisle inspected the blade. It was unmarked, even though a drop or two of Emmett's venom still clung to the metal. "Interesting," he remarked. He passed the blade to Edward, who shared it with Bella and Jacob. Reneesme refused to look. Edward passed it to Jasper, and Rosalie and Alice crowded in, as did Seth. The blade was clearly undamaged. The cut on Emmett's arm was healing swiftly, courtesy of vampire venom, leaving a very fain silvery line behind, but the knife had done the impossible: a metal blade had damaged a vampire's skin.

"Alright, you have a unique weapon, I will give you that," growled Rosalie, unhappy that it had been Emmett who had suffered through the demonstration.

"Ah, babe, I told you, it didn't hurt a bit. And that knife is totally cool. I want one." Emmett laughed and hugged Rosalie.

"I have several blades from this metal. I believe I have one that would suit you, young Emmett. It is the least I can do for your assistance in this demonstration," smiled Finder.

"Yeah, well, this isn't proof, not by a long shot," warned Rosalie.

"It is something, Rose, and you can't deny that we have never seen anything like this before," said Jasper softly.

"Carlisle, have you ever seen anything like this?" asked Bella.

"I have not, Bella, but I have heard tales about weapons like this before. Years ago, while I lived in Italy," answered Carlisle.

"Let us try another small test," suggested Finder.

"Another cut?" sneered Rosalie.

"No more cuts. I don't like it." Reneesme looked uncertain and Jacob patted her hand. "Come on, Rose, let's give this a chance. You asked for proof," he said.

"Proof. Not cuts on my husband," snarled Rosalie angrily.

"No cuts. Volunteers, though. I suggest you test some of my other gifts," said Finder.

"And how do you suggest we do that?" asked Jasper warily.

"One of you stays and ensures that I do not 'cheat'. The rest of you take an item from the house and hide it. Do not tell me what it is, do not tell me which of you hides it. For expediency's sake, I suggest that you limit yourself to a twenty-mile radius from the house for your hiding place. Oh, and I would like to change my clothing to something a little more practical while you hide the item. If I have to get into water or mud, I want my working clothes." Finder looked at them calmly, and Alice's face broke into a wide, wide grin. "I'll stay. I can see the end of this already. You all wait here just a second, I will get Finder's luggage from her car and take it up to her room. Then you can go play." Alice bounced out of the room, humming happily to herself.

"I know that sound," murmured Bella. "She has seen the end of this already, and Finder wins."

"Yeah? Not without playing the game," said Emmett, cracking his knuckles. "And I do not like to loose, little sister."


	6. Chapter 6

**Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight. I just play here.**

**CH. 6**

Carlisle Cullen sat quietly in his own home, his own living room, his family around him, and he had never felt so alone. This strange woman, claiming to be more than seven hundred years old, had saved his family that dreadful night those long months ago. It was a gift, un-hoped for, unbelievable, utterly unexpected. But he felt that the price for that gift might be more than he, or his family, could afford. Yes, they had Bella and as far as he could tell, she was in every way their Bella. But Bella had also died that terrible night, and only he knew it. Finder had also brought something even more terrifying to him. The studies he had undertaken into the information she had given him that night horrified him. The flash drive contained data on a new, largely unknown virus, one like nothing Carlisle had ever studied. His vast experience, gained over more than four hundred years of study and research, had never encompassed a disease as virulent as this one appeared to be. If the data were correct, experiments had been performed on living, sentient subjects. He really didn't want to know how this had been done under controlled conditions, because controlling a vampire or a true werewolf was all but impossible for any other than another of their kind. This virus was some sort of haemorraghic type, but not like others Carlisle had studied. It seemed to be able to equally attack humans, vampires, werewolves, and other preternatural creatures, and if his projections were correct, every being infected with it would die. He had never even heard of a vampire falling to anything short of violence at the hands of other supernatural beings, but this data indicated just that. And those files Finder had given him - stolen, he had no doubt - indicated that someone had already performed experiments on humans, vampires and actual werewolves, all of whom had died. Whatever was going on, it wasn't just about some story about Templars and treasures. And whoever…whatever Finder was, it wasn't some ordinary human with a gift for storytelling. This was…Carlisle had no words for the weight he felt pressing on him. Esme turned to him, worry in her eyes, and touched his face. He shook off his reverie and smiled at her, but he knew that she saw the smile didn't quite fill his eyes.

Alice trooped in from the driveway, carrying two large bags that all but dwarfed her tiny frame. "Is this all?" she chirruped to Finder, who smiled and nodded. "Well, come on, let me show you to your room, and you can get changed while they figure out what they are going to do." Alice let the way up the glass staircase and Finder followed, a small smile on her face.

As soon as she was out of the room, Jasper began. "If this is going to be a test, it needs to be a hard one. Let's all go outside where we are sure we can't be overheard." The family followed, Carlisle bringing up the rear, talking amongst themselves. He cast a last glance toward the staircase, then banished worry and fear from his countenance, guarded his thoughts and joined his family.

"Alright then, this is far enough," said Jasper. The family deferred to Jasper's military experience in planning their response to Finder's challenge, sensing that they needed a strategy to truly test their guest's claims. "Finder suggested that we each take something from the house and hide it somewhere. I suggest that we change the rules a bit. Each of us will take something, and exchange it with one of the others, then each of us will hide our object."

"Wait a minute," objected Reneesme. "Isn't that cheating?"

"Sweetie," said Jasper, kneeling to her eye level, "part of a good strategy is not letting your opponent set the rules. Yes, she said one item apiece, but we aren't going to have a real test if she sets the rules. Do you understand?"

"It still feels like cheating to me," the child grumbled.

"Nessie, Jasper is right. We can't have a true test if Finder sets the rules. If she doesn't know we have changed the rules, then we have a better chance of figuring out if she really can do what she says she can do." Jacob met Jasper's eyes, and though his tone was light, the seriousness of his expression was not.

"But Auntie Alice thinks Finder will win," Reneesme complained.

"Maybe. Maybe not. You know everything Aunt Alice sees doesn't happen, right?" asked Edward.

"I know that, Dad, but still…"

Edward swung his daughter up into his arms. "I think your sense of honor is a very good thing, Reneesme," he smiled. "I also think Uncle Jasper is right. We have to do it this way. I promise, Finder won't mind."

"You can't read her mind, how do you know that?"

The family all chuckled at Edward. "She's got you there, man," grinned Emmett.

"No, I can't read her mind, but if all this is real and she is being truthful with us, then she will actually expect us to make this as hard a test as we can. So if she is truthful, then she won't mind. And if she isn't, well…."

"We will deal with that if it arises," said Carlisle with finality. "Everyone have your idea?"

The family nodded. "Then Jacob, you and Reneesme should go together. The rest of us, split up. And do keep to the twenty-mile limit. We don't want this to take forever, now do we?"

"Ok, Nessie, what do you want to hide?" asked Jacob and she whispered in his ear. "You sure?" he asked doubtfully, and she shook her head firmly. "Ok, wait here and I will get it. You can give it to Seth, and he can hide it. You can take whatever he picks and ride on my back and we will hide it. Seth, we will go in wolf form, ok? That way you and I can communicate if anything goes wrong."

"What could possibly go wrong?" asked Esme doubtfully.

"Nothing is going to go wrong, my love. Jacob is just protective of Reneesme and his family," soothed Carlisle. He turned to the rest of his family, adding, "Everyone, get your object quietly, exchange it with someone, and go. We will meet back here as soon as you have hidden your item. No talking in the house," he warned. Catching each other's eyes, the family scattered into the house and then sped away into the woods.

Alice led Finder to the guest room, a large bedroom decorated in deep blues and greens. Finder crossed to the bed, where Alice deposited the two large bags. "Your bathroom is through there," Alice pointed, "And your closet is there. Do you need anything else?"

"No, thank you, Miss Alice. If you don't mind waiting, I will take a human moment," Finder said, removing her jewelry as she spoke. She opened one bag, pulling out several items, which she carried with her into the bathroom. Alice sat on the bed, bouncing slightly in anticipation. She absently noted the sounds from the bathroom, humming to herself. After a few minutes, Finder stepped out, garbed in loose-fitting gray trousers tucked into soft, low-heeled black leather boots and a long forest green turtle-neck tunic. 'No fashion sense', thought Alice, 'but not bad. Not bad at all. Practical. Suits her.' Finder returned the suit she had been wearing to her bag. Alice watched Finder lift the other bag and open it. From one side, she pulled a long heavy wool hooded cape in a deep green and a wide leather belt. Finder tugged the belt on, then opened the other side of the bag. She pulled out a pouch and attached it to the belt. Alice watched, wide-eyed, as she removed two long, thin knives and tucked them into special loops inside the tops of her boots. She pulled up the sleeves of her tunic and strapped on a wrist sheath and knife on each arm, testing carefully to be sure the knives fell properly into her hands. Alice's eyebrows crept into her hair as Finder removed a long sword in a baldric from the bag. "You vampires don't require weaponry, but I do." Finder explained matter-of-factly as she continued to arm. "I do not go anywhere unarmed."

"But aren't your enemies….ummm…non-human?"

"Some are, truly, but most are human. Gifted, long-lived, skilled, but human. And as you saw earlier, my weapons are not exactly standard-issue, movie props." Finder continued to arm, hooking an odd tube in a long carrier to her belt, and placing several throwing stars in the loops on her belt. She tucked a pair of fine leather gloves through her belt, then opened the pouch, checking its contents. She pulled a long necklace out, placing it around her neck. The dull silver chain gleamed slightly, and the charm looked like a small gyroscope of silver and crystal.

"That is pretty," said Alice. "But it isn't an ordinary necklace."

"Perceptive. No, this is a tool that lets me alter time slightly by generating anomalies between the dimensions. The chain is unbreakable, as is the charm itself, but it requires my paranormal gift to utilize its power."

"Do you need it to travel or make these anomalies?"

"No. Sometimes, it is easier to use this…map."

"Ah. And the weapons, do you need them too?"

"Miss Alice, I have trained for centuries in many martial arts. Tools help, but I am the weapon." The steel in Finder's face left no doubt of the truth of her statements. Alice measured her, and smiled.

"I think I ought to be frightened of you, you know. I can see things, dark things, things I am sure you would rather me not know. But I can't find it in me to be afraid of you. Of the situation, yes. I can see that you aren't bringing good things to us, but I can see that this is necessary, and that you didn't choose this." Alice's face was downcast, hidden from Finder, but the woman sat down beside Alice and laid her hand on Alice's cold one.

"It is quite a burden, isn't it? Seeing, uncertain if you can or should change what you see, and despite your husband and family, being so utterly alone?"

Alice trembled and shook her head. "It is horrible. I like knowing, but I hate knowing things I have to keep to myself. I know that my seeing is a powerful force keeping me and my loved ones safe, but it is so hard sometimes." Alice popped her hand over her lips to stop her words. She was surprised at how comfortable she was talking to Finder.

"And yet, your heart is not hardened and your spirit is not diminished. You are remarkable, Miss Alice. I find your courage admirable."

Alice laughed. "It's easy to be brave when you know the future."

"No, it is not." Finder's steady gaze never flinched from Alice's eyes, and the tiny vampire was touched by Finder's insight, and more, by her lack of instinctive aversion. Only Bella, when human, had reacted without a human's subconscious fear of the supreme predators, and Alice was deeply appreciative of this. It made her feel a little less...non-human. "I can't see how this is going to end, though. It just…isn't there, you know?"

"Yes. More than wolves and hybrids can cloud your Sight, Miss Alice. Not to worry: when your gift is needed most, it will not fail you." Finder's lips quirked slightly. "But it may not be much fun until then."

"Sometimes, it isn't all that much fun now." Alice sighed deeply.

Finder patted the young vampire's hand and Alice lightly squeezed the warm fingers. "Thank you. And now, if you are quite finished loading yourself with weapons, I hear my family returning."

Finder laughed and rose, fastening her cape around her neck. She slid her arms through the slits in the front of the cape and adjusted her sword over her shoulder. "I think I can manage with this paltry number of offensive assets." Alice's tinkling laughter accompanied Finder's closing her bags and the two women walked lightly down the stairs to meet the returning family.


	7. Chapter 7

Stephanie Meyer owns all of Twilight. I just play there.

**CH. 7**

The returning Cullens found Alice and Finder sitting on the porch, laughing. Finder was smoking a tiny, oddly sweet herbal cigarette, which she stubbed out as the family returned, placing the end in a small metal container she replaced in the pouch at her waist. "I am aware of the vampire's aversion to fire. Your venom is quite flammable, isn't it?"

"You better believe it," laughed Alice. "I haven't had a chance to tell you that yet."

"Aw, Alice, you didn't tell her anything, did you?" whined Emmett.

"Now, brother, you know that she wouldn't do anything like that," said Jasper, crossing to his wife's side.

Carlisle added, "Finder, you really shouldn't smoke. It really is very bad for your health."

Finder laughed again, and Alice joined in. Carlisle looked a little nonplussed, and Finder quickly apologized. "I am sorry if I seemed cavalier about your warning, Dr. Carlisle. I am aware of the dangers of tobacco for most people. These, however, are not commercial tobacco, but mostly sweet herbs and spices with some natural tobacco, no man-made chemical additives, and I am hardly 'most people'. My regenerative processes are far more efficient than the norm, I assure you. My occasional indulgence does me no harm, and I am careful not to set a bad example for others. I actually began smoking this blend in the Middle East many, many decades ago. And I assure you, I will not allow fire to get out of control around you or your family."

Esme grinned at her husband. "Once a doctor, always a doctor." Carlisle had the good grace to look slightly embarrassed. "My apologies. It was rude of me to comment like that."

"Not at all, Doctor Carlisle. Not at all." Finder looked around the yard, seeing the rest of the family gathered. "Well, then, shall we be about it?"

Jasper asked, "How long do you think this will take?"

"Not long," replied Finder confidently. She stepped away from the porch, raised her hands slightly, the shadows rose up around her, and she was gone.

"Whoa!" huffed Emmett.

"Did we really see that?" asked Jacob.

"She just….vanished!" whispered Seth.

Rosalie snorted. "Magic tricks. Hmmppphhh.."

"I don't know if it is magic, exactly, but it certainly isn't some sort of trick.

She was here one second and the next, gone," observed Edward.

Carlisle was silent. This particular phenomenon he had seen before, and he devoutly hoped he could keep that from his mind-reading son. Still, he was noted for his scientific observations, and he couldn't afford to keep quiet about this. 'Focus, Carlisle,' he told himself. Aloud, he said, "We should compare our observations at this point. We may not have privacy for some time to come. What did you see?"

Jacob answered first. "She vanished."

"Well, yeah, but how?" questioned Seth.

"Reneesme, did you sense anything at all?" queried Carlisle?

"Nothing, Grandpa Carlisle. I never picked up anything at all from her. Weird," sighed Reneesme.

"Anyone else?" he asked.

"It seemed that the shadows just….came out of nowhere and swallowed her," said Jasper thoughtfully. "Like the light just stopped where she was."

Emmett added, "It came up from around her feet and moved up her body. She disappeared from the floor up."

The family looked at him in surprise. "What? I am more than just a pretty face," Emmett grinned.

"Good observation," Carlisle allowed, grinning back at his teddy-bear son.

"So she disappears. Big deal. Maybe she should stay gone," snorted Rosalie, unimpressed. The woman had cut her husband, with a knife, no less.

"Rosalie, this is important. Everything to do with this woman is important," Carlisle admonished.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Save the world. Mysterious weapons. History lessons. Disappearing acts. I got it," she said sarcastically.

Carlisle sighed deeply as the rest of the family considered what they had learned.

"Let me see if I understand all this," said Esme. "She claims to be over seven hundred years old, a knight of the Templar order, she has some unique weapons, she believes that our entire world is under some form of attack and she wants our help, and she can disappear."

"Don't forget the finding things, the parallel worlds bit, and the mysterious vision Alice had," added Jasper.

"And that none of us can detect her scent or her breathing or heartbeat," observed Bella.

"Could you sense her 'light', Bella?" asked Carlisle.

"No, which is very strange. I can sense anyone under my shield, but not her. I tried, Carlisle, I did." Bella seemed frustrated by her inability to sense their visitor.

"I couldn't 'hear' her either, love," added Edward.

"I can't see her in any of my visions," Alice chimed in. "I can see us, but not her. I can see what is going on around her, but it's like those television specials where the blur the face of someone, so their identity can be concealed."

"We wolves cannot catch her scent either. No sound from her body beyond her voice, and very little heat signature. I would have to ask Sam's pack if they have ever heard of anything like this, but the only thing I can remember are the legends about the spirit-walkers, who were actually, well, gods or something like it, who appeared to my people." Jacob tugged at his hair as he spoke, annoyed that there was nothing more he could offer.

"Oh great. A Native American god? Uh-huh. Not with that hair." Rosalie's tone was bitter.

"Nothing else, Jacob?" asked Edward.

"Nope. But some of the things from those old legends do seem to fit Finder. No scent, appears and disappears, speaks in secret code, gives those who see them quests, all the usual sort of crap. Come to think of it, the same crap Finder is pulling." Jacob grinned at Edward, who returned the grin.

"Hhhmmmmm," murmured Carlisle. "Most unusual." He paused for a long minute. "Someone sent me a flash drive several months ago. I think it may have been Finder." It was as close to the truth as he could come while still avoiding the details of that long night in Phoenix.

"A flash drive?" asked Jasper.

"Yes. The data concerned a very unusual virus, something I have never seen before. It appears to attack humans, vampires, werewolves, all with equal devastation."

"Why do you think it was Finder?" questioned Esme.

"Because she showed up at my office today with a case equipped with technology simply not available in this world and told me that it contained samples of this virus."

"Wait a minute. Why would this Finder woman send you anything, much less information on some weird virus?" asked Rosalie suspiciously.

"Think about it, Rosalie," Carlisle said, exasperated. He pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. "She knew about us. Our names, where I work, where we live. She knows about the Volturi. She knows we are vampires, vegetarians, knows our powers. She knows about Jacob and Seth, that they are werewolves. She probably knows about Reneesme." At Edward's low hiss and Jacob's growl, he opened his eyes and met their concern. "My point is not that I believe she is dangerous to us. On the contrary, I think she is exactly what she says, however unbelievable it sounds. Choosing to come to me with this demonstrates just how well she does know us. If this virus attacks vampires as well as werewolves and humans, who better to seek out to investigate it than a vampire doctor with over three hundred years studying medicine?" Carlisle had carefully considered how to explain his 'acquaintance' with Finder in a manner that would cover his feelings and his thoughts for his gifted sons. He was determined that no one would ever know about that night in Phoenix when Bella died, but he had to come up with something to explain his reasoning.

"Carlisle, she said that this, whatever this is, is dangerous, and that we have to be involved. What does she mean?" asked Bella, slipping onto Edward's lap and curling one hand around his neck, calming him slightly.

"There is that small metal case Finder carried. It's still in Carlisle's car," ventured Alice. "I did see that," she added sheepishly.

Jasper smiled warmly at his wife. "You can't really help what you see, darlin'."

"And it is going to stay in the car, locked up in the console, until I can get it to the lab. If it is a sample, then it is incredibly dangerous for us all. I have a bio-hazard suit, and when we settle this with Finder, I will transfer the case to the lab," ordered Carlisle.

"Alice, how long before she gets back?" asked Seth.

Alice thought for a moment. "Not long, maybe ten minutes."

"I need to clear my head," sighed Carlisle. "I am going for a walk."

He could feel his family watching his with puzzlement, but he had to get out, if only for a few minutes. He needed to breathe, just shake off this stress. His family was in danger, had been from the minute Finder turned up, and it was his responsibility to protect them as best he could. He just wished he knew exactly what he was protecting them from.

Deep in the forest, Finder stepped from the darkness beside a tree, a fallen giant of its kind, the torn and tangled roots extending upwards for more than twenty feet above her. Carefully she extended her senses, checking her surroundings. She could smell the forest, the pine and spruce, the moss and ferns, the nearby burrowing animals, and the scent of a recent vampire visit. Satisfied that no danger lurked nearby, she climbed easily and quickly through the roots of the giant conifer. Once there, she once again checked her surroundings, then knelt and pulled from beneath the bark a silver teaspoon. Smiling to herself, she tucked it into her belt pouch and leapt from the trunk to the forest floor. She held still for a moment and silently disappeared, only to reappear several miles away on the edge of a large, fast-flowing stream. She stood on a tumble of large rocks, looking across the whispering water, when , in the blink of an eye, she drew her sword.

Across the stream, a man stood, hands on his hips, laughing.

"Faster than you used to be, my dear", he chuckled.

Finder did not relax her stance, though more than thirty feet of water separated the two.

"Ah, Katharine, it has been far too long," the man smiled winningly. He was not tall, but well built, with broad shoulders filling his expensive, custom suit. His tiercel yellow eyes crinkled with his smile as he ran his eyes up and down Finder's body. "You really ought to be wearing gowns that suit you. You are truly a beautiful woman. Show it off."

Still Finder did not speak or move.

"Aww, are you still unhappy with me for the last time we met?" His baritone voice was mellifluous, flowing like chocolate over his words, but his eyes began to tighten slightly at Finder's continued silence and drawn sword. "I'm sorry, my dear, about trying to kill you, but I just got carried away in the heat of the moment. Now, my dear, you really ought to relax. After all, I know you can be gone before I can cross this stream. I chose this place apurpose, you know, just so we could have a tête-à-tête, just the two of us."

Finder's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly, but she did not alter her stance, nor break her silence.

"Well, if you won't speak, I guess it falls to me." His face hardened as he continued and threat wound through his words. "I know what you are doing. Katharine. Stop. Stop now. Just let it go. You cannot stop me. You know you do not want to," he coaxed. "Not really."

From the woods behind Finder, Carlisle stood, shocked. He had decided to clear his head with a quick run, never thinking he would come upon Finder in the process of finishing the test she had set. He had stopped to watch the stars when he heard a man speaking. It was a voice well used to power and persuasion, flexible and supple as music, beautiful and well controlled. Carlisle was upwind of the man, so no scent touched him, and he was well controlled around humans. He turned to depart when he heard the man say a name. Katharine. Finder's name. Carlisle silently crept closer, eavesdropping shamelessly. This woman was a puzzle, and he had no clue about the man. However, something about the voice, the beautiful baritone voice, troubled him. Something about this man made the hair on the back of his neck stand up and the venom pool in his mouth. The situation bore closer investigation. He stood, hidden in the shadows, and peered out.

There was Finder, holding her sword ready, standing loosely on a pile of large rocks. Across the stream was a man, very oddly dressed to be so deep in the woods. He wore a black suit, a brilliant white shirt with discretely sparkling jewel cuff links, and a blood-red tie. Gleaming black leather shoes shone on his feet. He was smiling, wheedling Finder into something …conversation, attack, something. But Finder might have been stone for all the reaction visible. Even the normally unconscious tightening of muscles, of the eyes and face, did not happen. She simply waited, Zen-like, as the man continued to talk.

"Ah, Katharine, it could be like it was, you and I. Fighting. Exploring. Loving. We could rule the worlds, all of them, you and I. Come with me, Katharine. You and I, we could have anything, everything we ever wanted, together." The man smiled, his yellow tiercel eyes gleaming warmly, his body swaying imperceptibly, his hands extended gently, pleading and coaxing coating every syllable from his lips.

And still Finder did not move, held silent.

And the man changed. Slowly, even to vampire senses, but he changed. His eyes narrowed. He lowered his hands as his body stiffened, his face altered to something far different that the charming, handsome man he had been a moment earlier. He was no longer charming, no longer affable. Dangerous, that is what he became. A sense of terrible darkness suffused his entire being, easily discerned by a vampire. His lips hardened into a tight line, his brows crept together as he drew himself up.

"Still stubborn, I see," he sneered, and the beautiful voice was now filled with scorn. "Stop what you are doing, Katharine. You will regret interfering with me. If you get in my way, I will destroy you and everyone near you." He did not shout, never raised his voice, but his words were laced so heavily with threat and hatred that even a vampire as old and strong as Carlisle shuddered. The man stared hard at Finder for several seconds, then snorted contemptuously and stalked away, into the forest. Finder, Carlisle saw, did not move. Only her eyes followed the man until he disappeared. He waited, watching silently.

Finder stood on the rock for another five minutes, slowly moving her head as she surveyed the entire area. Finally, she moved her sword to one hand and jumped from the rock to the edge of the stream. She knelt down at the edge and rummaged amongst the plants, finally coming up with an onyx chess piece, which she tucked into her belt pouch as she stood.

"You can come out, Dr. Carlisle," she called.

Carlisle stopped breathing in shock. No one, except possibly a mind-reading vampire, could have known he was there, and yet Finder did. He stepped out of the forest and crossed to the pile of tumbled rocks quietly, with nothing to say.

Finder did not look at him. She continually scanned the surrounding area, searching as if she expected something dangerous to attack at any moment.

"He knows you," Carlisle finally said.

"Yes. He was once my husband." Finder smiled grimly. "Please, go back to the house, and don't let anyone out alone. I will follow when I have finished the task."

Carlisle was speechless. He nodded once and turned lithely, running as fast as he had ever run in his life towards home, the family he loved, and had to protect. And away from this dangerous mystery that threatened them all.


	8. Chapter 8

**Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight. I just play there.**

**Ch. 8**

Laughter rang out from the kitchen of the Cullen house, where Esme and Emmett were tossing ingredients for a huge meal back and forth. Esme's eyes shone, giggling like a girl as she caught and juggled the potatoes Emmet threw to her. She caught the last one and grinned. "Ok, enough. You've washed them; I am putting them in the microwave now. We have hungry boys and girls here. And Finder eats too, so we need to get dinner finished."

Emmett grinned back. "Ok. I'll put the steaks on."

"Don't you want to try one of them, raw?" teased Jacob.

"Ew, Jake, gross," said Rosalie from her place leaning against the counter. "That is just disgusting."

"Why? You only like your meat bloody and screaming?" teased Jacob.

"Just blow some smoke over mine and I will be fine", laughed Seth.

"Do you think Finder will be back soon?" asked Reneesme softly.

"Seven minutes," said Alice absently. Jasper kissed her knuckles. "Maybe," he said.

"Nope. Seven, well six minutes and forty eight seconds."

"And she found everything?" asked Bella.

"Yep."

"Somebody's gonna be paying up!" Emmett chuckled to himself, imagining his demands when he won his bets.

"Don't get cocky, Emmett," warned Alice.

"Aw, Alice, come on. I just want to win this one." Emmet was fiercely competitive, even on simple bets with his siblings.

"All I'm saying is: don't get cocky." Alice grinned at Emmett's frown.

"And Carlisle?" asked Esme softly, feeling the need to be certain of her husband's well-being, just once more.

"He'll be back, Esme. This is just hard for him. He wants to protect us all from everything, and that isn't always possible." Edward understood his father very clearly, understood Carlisle's fierce devotion to his family, his compelling commitment to the well-being of the entire family. Edward understood because he felt exactly the same way. He glanced up to find Bella's eyes on him, smiling. He smiled back as he raised her hand and brushed his lips across her knuckles.

"Ewww, Dad." Reneesme left the kitchen, followed by Jacob and Seth.

Edward heard them settling into the living room, arguing about which video game to play.

"So, Eddie," Emmett harrumphed, "what the hell is this really all about?"

Edward looked at his brother blankly.

"What? I think about things, sometimes."

Edward shook his head slightly. "Truly, Emmett, I do not know. I do have an idea or two…"

"Give over, bro. Inquiring minds want to know."

"Well, Finder thinks that somehow, we Cullens will help save the world. Logically, it cannot be because we are vampires, because there are other vampires in our world. It therefore must be because of something that is peculiar to us. Not our gifts – there are other gifted vampires. Not because of the shape-shifters – there are other shapeshifters. I grant you there are likely no other alliances like ours with the Quileutes, but alone, that is not significant enough to be a factor in something as large as what Finder appears to be involved in. Our 'vegetarian' lifestyle might be a factor, but I think it likely has in part something to do with Carlisle being a doctor and scientist. There are no other practicing vampire doctors as far as I am aware. And…" he hesitated, knowing what he had to say would likely set off a massive explosion. "…there is Reneesme."

"No, aw, hell no! This can't be about Nessie," Emmett growled.

"Emmett, Reneesme is unique. While there are other hybrids, they are not common, and are not members of a family and an alliance such as ours. I think that the combination of these factors make us singularly unique. I cannot think of any other logical reasons for Finder to come to us."

"I can." Jasper's voice was level and cold.

"What?" Emmett was puzzled by the look of dawning horror crossing Edward's face and the tightness of Jasper's voice.

"The Volturi," whispered Edward.

"What do the Volturi have to do with this, Edward?" Esme's puzzlement was clear.

"We are the only coven...family ever to stand against the Volturi successfully. That may be the unique thing about us that she needs to accomplish her purpose."

"But we weren't alone. Our friends, the nomads, there were others with us," objected Esme. "And we didn't even fight, not really."

"But we won," pointed out Bella.

"That's the point." Jasper was terse.

"Why would defying the Volturi make us unique enough for Finder to seek us out?" asked Esme.

"Because we survived." Jasper's comment was abrupt and the others fell silent, puzzling.

"Carlisle and Finder are almost here," said Alice softly. "Maybe when they get back, we can get this whole thing solved."

"I don't think it's going to be that easy, darlin'."

Edward looked at his family, at his hand entwined with Bella's, and devoutly hoped that Jasper was wrong.


	9. Chapter 9

**I don't own Twilights: Stephanie Myers does. Nice she lets me play there.**

**Ch. 9**

Carlisle Cullen ran faster than he had run in many, many years. He had to get back to his family, share what he had discovered, and continue to shield his thoughts from Edward, all before Finder finished her self-appointed task. He was, he admitted only to himself, frightened. Carlisle knew himself to be a phlegmatic man, rarely rattled by the vicissitudes of life, but this…this _woman_….changed everything. For an instant, he hated her, hated Finder all the way to his bones. How dare she come here, involve him and his beloved family in something so hideously dangerous that the world might not survive. He stopped, standing stock still as he let the emotion run through him. 'We could kill her,' he thought. 'There are twelve of us and only one of her. If she died, this would be over. We would be safe.' Carlisle breathed deeply and set off once more for the house. They would not be safe if Finder died, this would not be over if they killed her. They would only be safe if Finder was wrong, if that virus never existed, if their unknown enemies did not ever enter their world. But the virus did exist – he had seen the from the flash drive, and to his experienced eye it did not look faked - and that man he had seen in the forest, talking to Finder, existed too. That man was the source of their problems, Carlisle knew it. Killing Finder would not solve their problems, but killing that man…Carlisle found venom pooling in his mouth at the thought of killing the man. He was absolutely certain that man was evil beyond description. He found he feared the man, feared the utter ruthlessness, the callousness he heard in that man's mellifluous voice, though fear would never stop him from following his duty as he perceived it. Carlisle often wondered about the duty of his kind to protect the rest of the world, about what vampires owed to the rest of sentient kind. Many decades ago, he had settled the question regarding himself, and dedicated his existence to becoming the best doctor he could, helping whomever he came into contact with. For him, that meant helping Finder as well. He could not, indeed would not, countenance her death. That evil man in the forest was the source of their current problems, he was sure of it. Stopping that man was most, if not all, the answer to their dilemma. Though Carlisle did not approve of killing people, death was the only answer this time. Finder had not spoken it, but he knew if she was half as clever as she appeared, she accepted this, indeed, planned on it. They had to help, if only to save themselves. But Carlisle also knew- though the others did not– that they owed Finder a debt that could never be paid. They had no choice but to help in any way they could.

Edward jerked his head up. "Carlisle is coming."

"Good", said Esme. "He needed a little space to clear his head, but if he is coming back this soon, he must feel better."

"I don't think so," said Jasper.

"No, there is something going on, something he needs to tell us," agreed Edward.

"What? Some weird woman with prophesies of doom?" sneered Rosalie.

"Oh, come on Rosalie," sighed Alice. "We've been over this. Carlisle has good reason to trust her, at least to the extent that we will listen to her and participate in her little tests."

"She cut my husband with a stupid knife, she waltzes in here with some cock-and-bull story and here we are, sitting around waiting for something else to happen."

"Rosalie," chided Bella softly, and Rosalie looked abashed. "Ok, ok. But I still don't like it."

"What do you like, Blondie?" shouted Jacob from the other room and the others laughed as they heard Reneesme smack Jacob on the head. "Ow. What did you do that for, Nessie?"

"Don't call her Blondie."

"Ok, but she doesn't like Peroxide. Owwww!" The family in the kitchen chuckled at Reneesme's second smack on Jacob's head and even Rosalie managed a smile which faded as Carlisle bust in the kitchen door.

"There was a man in the forest, Finder talked with him," he got out at vampire speed.

Listening to his father's thoughts, Edward saw everything Carlisle had experienced as Jasper sorted through the confusing and powerful feelings. The two looked at each others, brows raised in surprised. Carlisle was shaken by the encounter he had witnessed, a thing both Edward and Jasper believed to be nigh impossible. Carlisle was the rock of their family not because he was the sire of three of them, but because he was an unshakable tower of strength, compassion and wisdom. Anything that shook Carlisle was more than disconcerting: it was terrifying. The others had crowded into the spacious kitchen, watching Carlisle as Edward and Jasper communicated silently.

'He's actually frightened' Jasper thought, watching Edward closely.

Edward nodded fractionally as Esme crossed to her husband's side, hugging him tightly.

Carlisle spoke over Esme's head as he wrapped his arms around her. "I have never heard a voice so malevolent, and yet so beautiful. He threatened Finder, and anyone close to her. He knows what she is doing and purports to stop her by any means. I have no doubt his threats are very real. But the strangest thing is that Finder said he used to be her husband."

The Cullens stared at Carlisle, then at each other, speculation running through their minds. Edward saw Carlisle's thoughts clearly, viewing he through his father's thoughts the strange encounter in the forest. The man Carlisle saw was unfamiliar to Edward, as was Carlisle's sense of dread during those moments.

"Not to be disrespectful, but what scares you?" Jasper asked quietly.

"Scares me? No, I am not scared, son. I am terrified out of my wits." replied older man, running a hand through his hair.

Esme hugged him closer and he buried his face in her neck, breathing her scent deeply.

Edward spoke carefully to avoid making Carlisle feel any worse. "Carlisle, I mean no disrespect, but from your memory I can't see what has you so…upset."

"Edward, son, I am not 'upset'. I am frightened beyond words for my family, for our friends, for our world. Finder alone is bad enough, but coupled with that data disk and that man I saw tonight…I know, I know, it sounds insane. I assure you, I am not insane. A… gestalt, I guess, has happened in my mind. I don't have all the pieces, but the outlines of the picture I now perceive literally terrifies me!"

"Carlisle, shhh…we're here and we will deal with whatever this is," whispered Esme from his arms. He held her away from him, looking into her face as a small, bitter smile crept across his lips.

"Ah, Esme, if it were only that simple," he sighed, burying his face in her hair once more.

The rest of the family crowded back into the kitchen, silent, watching Carlisle and Esme, their thoughts and emotions bombarding Edward and Jasper as they waited to hear what else their beloved father, grandfather and friend would say.

"Come on, Carlisle!" growled Emmett. "There isn't anything we can't handle."

Carlisle whirled on Emmett, his face a mask of anger and fear. "You don't know what you are talking about, Emmett," he almost shouted. "We can't fight a damned virus, no matter how strong we are!"

"But surely you can find a cure or a vaccine…" Reneesme began.

Carlisle cut her off. "Reneesme, darling, there is no 'cure' for any virus ever known. We do not 'cure' viruses. We simply have treatments that assist the body itself to fight the disease, but there is no cure. Vaccines help, indeed they do, but even vaccines are not a 'cure'."

Jacob squeezed Reneesme's hand and asked quietly, "I don't understand. What did you see, what did you hear, what happened that you are suddenly so…different about all of this? I just don't get it."

Always at his alpha's flank, Seth added, "Me either. Not to be disrespectful or anything, but it is just a virus, and just a man. Vampires don't get sick, wolves have incredible healing and Reneesme is half vamp, she has those healing powers too. So we can handle the virus and for the rest, well, no matter how good he is, he's just a man, right? Can't we deal with that?"

Shaking her head, Rosalie glared at Jacob, then softened a bit as she looked at Seth. "You guys…haven't you had Biology One? There are no cures for any virus ever. This means no cure for the common cold, no cure for HIV, no cure for herpes, no cure for smallpox, no cure for any virus. Vaccines work, and well, or the world would still be enduring smallpox epidemics instead of rare, contained outbreaks, but just like H1-N1, or avian flu, or the influenza that killed Edward's first family, viruses can't be cured. And one that can kill vampires, wolves and humans? We are all vulnerable to that, and we can't even try for a virus until we have a sample of the virus to work with." Sometimes it was easy to forget that Rosalie, like Edward, had more than one medical degree.

"Ok, so Finder is real and there is this dangerous virus out there. I still don't understand why you are so disturbed, Carlisle." Bella's voice was soft and gentle as she searched Carlisle's eyes, trying to understand what he felt.

"Bella, family…" Carlisle sighed and turned slightly away from Esme, though he never let go of her. "I…" Carlisle stopped, thinking furiously, blocking Edward from his deeper thoughts with the smooth effort of years of practice. What could he say, how could he explain that everything had just…clicked into place in his mind, when he could not tell them about that fateful night in Phoenix when Bella died, and Bella was given to them again, though the auspices of Finder. He understood why Finder knew about him, about his family. He understood why she had given Bella to them. He understood her cryptic remarks about his family being vital to the salvation of the world. He even understood why Finder had sought him out as ally. There were missing pieces, of course, and the biggest one was motive. He had no clue who their enemies actually were. Until he saw the man in the forest, he had been floundering in the dark, lost and confused. Now he was no longer lost, less confused, and far more frightened. They, he and his family, truly had no defense against this enemy, not yet, and they were utterly dependent upon a woman who had been involved, at the very least, with one of their enemies, perhaps the leader of that shadowy group, to find a way to defeat them. And he knew, oh how he knew, that they might not all survive. Bella hadn't, after all, and she had not even been involved in this.

Carlisle ran his free hand over his face and through his hair, till the blond perfection stood on end, loose and shaggy. He took a deep, cleansing breath and blew it out noisily.

"I see it, at least most of it, now. There is a group at work in this world attempting to overthrow all governments, open or secret, in order to rule. Why this world of all the others, I don't know, but it is this world that sets the pattern for their conquest. And no, I have no clue why someone would want to be a ruler of anything. I have never had any interest in that sort of power, and desire it not now. These enemies have managed to find something that might just actually work. They have a virus that kills humans, vampires, shapeshifters, were-creatures, and very likely, most of the higher life forms. If they can control this virus, use it to kill selectively, put the entire world in disarray by killing off the larger portion of the population, they might indeed be able to rule. Against them, we have Finder and any unknown allies that come with her, and ourselves. I think, and I stress that I haven't any proof at this point, just a very well educated hunch, that Finder believes that I can find, if not a cure, a vaccine for this virus because I have more experience than any practicing physician in the world and because I am a vampire. I believe that she thinks that something about Edward, Bella, or Reneesme may hold the clue to what we need. And all we have to do is discover the cure or vaccines, locate and destroy the source of the virus, and defeat any who wish to use this world as their personal fiefdom."

Sardonic clapping sounded through the kitchen where the family was gathered. "Very good, Dr. Carlisle," said Finder. "You state the situation very well, sadly enough."

The vampires whirled to face the small, weary woman who had materialized in the doorway to their kitchen. "Finder," said Carlisle in granite tones, "it's time."

Finder sighed as she crossed to the kitchen island, pulling things from her pouch and pockets as she walked. "Yes. You are right. But you, none of you, will like anything I have to tell you. It is indeed as bad as Dr. Carlisle has hypothesized. It may very well be the end of not only this world, but of many others."


	10. Chapter 10

**I don't own Twilight: Stephanie Meyer does. I just get to play there.**

**CH. 10**

"Ok, this is too much drama for me. I want to know who won the contest!" Emmett crossed his arms across his chest and pouted as everyone looked at him with varying degrees of surprise. "What? I do!"

Finder broke the silence with a chuckle that escalated into a full-fledged laugh. If it was a bit harsh around the edges, no one said anything. She began pulling things from her pouch and cloak pockets.

"One silver teaspoon, antique and heavy, chosen by Madam Esme and hidden by Miss Rosalie under a very large, very muddy boulder about five miles from here." Finder placed the spoon on the counter.

"One very heavy, very valuable, gold braid chain with a truly impressive diamond pendant, chosen by Miss Reneesme and hidden by young Seth." Out came the necklace the Volturi had sent to Bella before their last confrontation, and it joined the spoon.

"One CD, Cold Play, chosen by young Edward and hidden by Dr. Carlisle, in, of all things, the postbox." Carlisle shrugged and Edward said, "I didn't mind loosing it, that was all."

"One, just one, Jimmy Chou pink platform heel, chosen by Miss Rosalie and hidden by young Emmett in some very deep, very cold water."

"_Someone _got chocolate milk all over my other shoe," growled Rosalie and Emmett just laughed.

"One pizza coupon, chosen by young Seth and hidden by Madam Esme in the glove box of the Aston Martin Vanquish belonging to young Edward."

"Hey, careful with that, it's valuable." Seth grabbed the coupon from Finder's hand and tucked it into his back pocket. "Never know when you might need it." Esme looked a little downcast and he added, "If you aren't here, Esme, a guy's gotta eat." She perked up at his explanation and Edward could hear her planning how to keep enough food for the young wolves not only available, but already prepared. Their freezer wasn't big enough, she had decided, and in the back of her mind she was already calculating where to put a bigger one.

Finder reached into her pouch again and removed a delicate bracelet, silver with twisted vines running around it. "One bracelet, lovely design, chosen by Miss Bella and hidden by young Jasper. One color plate, obviously from a medical treatise, and equally obviously, chosen by Dr. Carlisle and hidden by Miss Reneesme in a bird's nest in a very, very tall tree." Reneesme giggled and blushed.

"One heavy silver salt shaker, salt still inside, chosen by young Jacob and hidden by young Edward in the roof tiles of Miss Bella's father, Charlie's house. One small, bedraggled teddy bear, chosen by young Emmett and hidden by Miss Bella in a large box under the roots of a downed giant of the forest. And one lead toy Confederate soldier, chosen by young Jasper and hidden in the abandoned logging campsite under a pile of tin cans by young Jacob. Very clever, all of you, splitting up like that." Jasper smiled, but the look in his eyes was triumphant. Edward looked at him, and he began reciting the pledge of allegiance in Farsi to keep his thoughts hidden.

Finder gave him a shark smile as she removed one last item from her belt pouch. "And one chess piece, a white queen, chosen and hidden by young Jasper in the living room on the mantle." She dropped the piece into Jasper's hand and gently pressed against his chin, closing his mouth. "You don't want to get flies."

"How…how did you get that piece? I hid it in the house and no one helped you, no one knew." He stopped and stared at the others, one by one. "You didn't tell her, did you? Did anyone?" At the negative response from his family, Jasper grew even more frustrated. Running his hands through his hair, he turned to Finder. "How did you find it?" Jasper was dumbfounded. He had been so certain that because no one knew about the chess piece, he would be able to out-think Finder. Equally, he had been certain that even if she figured out that he had hidden something in the house, she wouldn't be able to find it and retrieve it with the others in the house. He turned to Alice, suspicion warring with certainty on his face, and Alice smiled gently.

"Jazz, why would I tell her? I saw this, remember? I already knew how it would end up. Besides, I enjoyed watching everything enough that I wasn't going to screw it up by telling anybody anything."

Jasper nodded as he snaked an arm around Alice. "I was just so sure that you couldn't get anything in the house…." And Finder raised an eyebrow as she smiled.

"I haven't told you everything about either my gift or my training, young Jasper. I can do many things you have yet to learn."

"Whoa, dude. Does this mean she wins?"

"Yep," popped Reneesme. "Sure does."

"No," said Rosalie. "She should be wet, muddy, and tired. We hid those things in some fairly inaccessible places, yet here she stands, even with the one thing Jasper hid in the house, clean, tidy, and not in the least put out. This whole situation is impossible! Now you, whoever you are, you need to go away!" Clearly, if vampires could cry, tears of anger and frustration would be pouring down her perfect face. Emmett pulled his wife to his chest, stroking her hair and murmuring so softly that even the others could not hear the words. Rosalie gulped and nodded her head slightly against Emmett's shoulder.

"Rosalie," said Esme gently, "sweetie, she did win, and because it was impossible, even for one of us, she is what she says."

"Ok, Esme, I know about your rules for manners, but having powers doesn't make her everything she says true and accurate." Once again, the family was nonplussed, staring at Emmett, who just shrugged. "Muscles don't always come at the expense of brains."

"Well, that is usually the case with you Emmett, you have to admit," observed Bella. "Remember the pancake fiasco? It took a while to get them off the ceiling after you shot them there with your homemade bazooka."

Jacob and Reneesme cracked up and Seth followed, but the others manfully swallowed their laughter.

Carlisle cleared his throat and silence fell. "Finder is what she says in terms of her gift. I think we are safe taking everything else she says at face value for now. That is," he added, turning to Finder, "after you explain who that man in the forest was. And why he threatened you, and anyone working with you, which means us."

Finder bent her head, hiding her face for a long moment. She looked up and her bleak eyes met those of the Cullens. "He was…my husband. He is now my most implacable foe, and the author of the catastrophe we face."

And Cullens looked at each other, worry and concern grim in their eyes.


	11. Chapter 11

**I don't own Twilight, Stephanie Meyer does. I just play there.**

**CH. 11**

The man sighed loudly, sliding down into the steaming hot water in the centuries-old copper tub, his eyes closed, his nude body relaxing from the heat. Silently, a serving man moved through the room, placing scented, hot towels on the rack, and lifting the discarded clothing from the floor. He placed the SIG/Saur .357 pistol on the shelf across the tub, next to the bottle of Pernod-Ricard Perrier-Jouet champagne chilling in the ice bucket, the single crystal glass standing incongruously on the bath shelf beside the deadly gun. He kept his eyes averted from the man in the tub, never noticing the myriad scars tracing the man's history in his skin. He concealed with practiced ease his creeping fear of the man and never looked back as he left the room, carrying his master's discarded clothing.

Wooden floors of deep ochre, polished to a high sheen, met windows, tall and narrow, looking out over a vast city alive with neon, and split by a dark river crossed with lighted bridges, a panorama the man ignored. His breathing deep and even, he controlled his body easily after many years of long practice. Nothing in his countenance indicated that the glittering foil around the top of the champagne bottle was removing itself, along with the wire holding the cork in place. As the foil drifted gently to the floor, the cork slowly twisted out of the neck of the bottle as it rose to pour gently into the crystal flute. The bottle settled back into the ice bucket as the glass floated to the man's hand. He sipped appreciatively, reflecting that the exorbitant cost of the wine had been well worth it. It was custom bottled for him alone, flavored with honey that came from bees kept in an isolated mountainside village in the remote Alps. He sighed gently, slipping a little deeper into the hot water as he contemplated his next move. The fingers of his other hand traced the outline of the gun as he contemplated the latest unfolding of his plans.

"Ah, Katharine, Katharine," he murmured. She was the curse of his existence, but sometimes he remembered how it had been between them, in the beginning. His lips curved in a small smile as his memories played through his mind.

They had been children together, the most outstanding children ever trained by the long-gone Templars. It had only been right, proper, that she should belong to him. He knew, almost from the beginning, that it was he who was destined to rule. It was he for whom the Templars had labored, it was he for whom they planned, it was he for whom the band of gifted children had been gathered and trained. He knew, without being told and despite the pretense to the contrary, that all of it was for him. They were his, as they should be, his to rule, his to use, his tools to remake the world for him. But he was not a foolish child, and had learned already that adults were unprepared for his brilliance in someone so young. To say these things aloud, to force adults to acknowledge him before he was ready to assume his rightful place, before he came into the fullness of his power, would have been folly. And so he had waited, all through the long, bitter years of their training, waited for the final secrets to be imparted to him, waited through oaths he never intended to keep and through rituals that meant nothing but power to him, waited to be acknowledged, waited to be followed as was only his proper due. He waited too, for Katharine to grow into womanhood, so that they could be joined as man and wife. She was for him, he knew it. He had known it from the moment he first saw her furious red face and long red braid struggling in the practice yard when she was only seven. Why else would their mentors bring a girl, a mere female, no matter how gifted, how intelligent, how skilled, into a group of men who had all but ruled the known world? Training her, even the knighting, which he had objected to but held his peace over, all served one purpose: to make Katharine the perfect mate for the man who was to rule the world. And in the beginning, she had recognized his innate superiority. She respected him. She never competed for leadership with him, like the others. She never tried to force him to her will. She felt no need to measure herself against him, which he knew meant that she accepted his superiority. She had never fought him physically, though they had sparred lightly together, and he understood this mark of respect augured well for their future. While she argued with him, and disagreed with him in the classroom, she never did so away from their teachers, which, he knew, meant that it was only for show, only for the classroom and the foolishness of their teachers. Even when she began to receive training that he did not participate in, she kept her face properly lowered when speaking with him, and was properly embarrassed to receive attention form their teachers that he did not. He knew, he always knew, that Katharine accepted, even welcomed her role as his helpmeet. She had always show reticence in his presence, proper deference for his rightful lordship over her, and he loved her for it. He courted her for years, letting her know just how highly he valued her, letting her know that he was superior to other men, that she was most fortunate that he loved only her. They were knights, but they were not bound to celibacy. He wanted the binding of marriage, but some of their mentors disagreed. He had dealt with those who objected to his plans as they deserved, and Katharine had not needed to know that those deaths were anything but the accidents, the natural course of events for those men. Two years after their knighting, he and his sworn men took Katharine away from their hidden base in order for them to be married.

But he was betrayed. Katharine, the woman groomed, trained, created for only him, defied him. She had flatly refused him. That was not something he was willing to let pass. The priest was old, and compliant, and he and his Katharine were married. It was unfortunate that she was bound and drugged at the time, but the marriage was valid and he wasted no time in consummating it. He thought that perhaps her reticence stemmed from her doubts about marriage in general, at least for her, since she had been raised by men and treated almost as a man for far too long. Surely, once they were married, in every way, Katharine would come to her senses and accept him as her lord and master, as women were supposed to do. Certainly, once she understood that he meant her to be his consort, to sit at his feet as he commanded the world, she would admit her true feelings for him. He wanted heirs, strong sons to follow after him, and Katharine was the perfect woman for him. Her sons would be strong, gifted men.

But he had been betrayed yet again. Katharine had not accepted him, or the marriage. Once the drugs wore off, she escaped, killing two of his men in the process. She had broken the marriage and shattered his plans to use the treasures of the Templars to solidify his rule of Western Europe, the first step in his plans. She and seven others from the band of gifted knights had removed the treasures from his grasp and hidden them elsewhere. They had withheld the knowledge from the final secrets he had never been given. They locked him out of the other worlds, kept him from his first plans to transport an army from the parallel worlds into his own, an army he planned to use to conquer every country, every people on earth. For over six hundred years, Katharine had forestalled or delayed his plans. At every turn, she was there, she or her minions, defying him, denying him his rightful place. He had tried, more than once, to have her killed, or even to kill her himself, but he had never quite managed it. Nor had she managed to kill him. He thought that was because, deep inside, she still loved him, wanted her place with him, and struggled to resist his command of her heart. He sighed again. Sometimes, this business of being the proper ruler of the world was a challenge. Dear Katharine, dear, dear Katharine, who persisted in her stubborn refusal of his right to rule, to rule her.

So he began to search for allies who were different, not influenced by the foolishness of Templar teachings or the judgments of a delusional woman. Some of those allies were able to carry him travelling between the worlds, though he could not do it on his own. The human tools he used to communicate with those allies were expendable, which was fortunate since they didn't seem to last long. He breathed deeply of the scented steam curling around the bathing room, well pleased with the direction his plans were going. The advent of new allies for Katharine didn't disturb him overmuch. They were, he knew, vampires, and he had on his side some of the rulers of the vampires. This was nothing he hadn't foreseen, and planned accordingly for. It was Katharine whose plans were doomed to failure, new allies notwithstanding.

And he looked forward to her failure. After all, there was debt between them, a debt he looked forward to settling.

"His name is David de Morgan," she said softly, pronouncing the name in the French manner: Dah-veed dee Morgan.

"You do know him," said Jasper firmly.

"Yes." She gazed at the Cullens thoughtfully, her expression calm, but Jasper could feel the rock-solid determination, the implacability of her resolve where this de Morgan was concerned. "He was one of us, one of the last Templars. He had been selected before I was born, because his gift of telekinesis was evident even as a toddler. His father was known to my great-uncle. He underwent much of the same training I did, and was knighted, drinking of the Holy Grail, at the same time I was."

Carlisle snapped his fingers. "Of course! The Holy Grail! That is why you are immortal, or nearly so."

Finder smiled. "In my case, the Grail isn't the only reason for my longevity, but for de Morgan, and the rest of us who were the last knights, it is. But the Templars who were our teachers began to distrust de Morgan as he grew into manhood. He was…too perfect, too certain, too…" Finder trailed off into silence, obviously searching for the correct words to explain something sensed rather than seen.

"I heard him speaking to you," Carlisle offered. "His voice is truly beautiful, like...like what God must sound like." Edward, hearing the voice in his father's mind, nodded in understanding. "Or like the speaking voice of music," he said.

"Yes. He is like that," agreed Finder.

"Why did your mentors come to distrust him?" asked Jasper.

"Do you know how most humans instinctively shy away from you, an utterly instinctual reaction to a danger their conscious minds do not perceive?" At their nods, Finder continued. "I believe that the wiser of my teachers listened to their instincts, and thus prompted, began to take very careful observations of de Morgan."

"But you, you never trusted him, did you? Why not?" asked Esme, certain that Finder had always feared this strange man who had frightened Carlisle.

"Because, strange as it seems, I never saw him as anything but purely evil. Even as a child, I feared him. Much of my childhood was spent avoiding him, hiding my abilities, my mind from him. I knew, from the first moment he looked in my eyes, that he was evil. I said nothing at first. A child, judging her elders, especially a female child, was not likely to be taken seriously. Even though I was accepted, loved even, I was, for some of my teachers, still a female first. And when I grew old enough, learned enough to be able to begin to selectively speak to my mentors, de Morgan killed them."

"Why didn't they stop him? Why didn't they see what he was?" Straight to the point as always, Emmett believed in the direct approach to every problem.

"Likely part of his gift was being able to hide his true nature, Em," said Jasper.

"I thought all of you Templar people were gifted. Why didn't someone else see what you saw?" asked Rosalie disdainfully.

"Some did, quite early, in fact. They protected me for a long time, and paid the price. De Morgan killed them. It looked like bandits or accidents, but he killed them."

"Wait a minute. I thought you were immortal." Seth was puzzled at immortals being killed, even by others. Something didn't fit together yet.

"I do not like the term "immortal", young Seth. It does not accurately describe my state. I heal almost instantly from most things, I have an immune system that is unparalleled, preternatural reflexes and strength, and I have drunk from the Holy Grail. But I can be killed. I age, though extremely slowly, which indicates to me that some day I shall naturally pass away, if accident or mayhem doesn't get me first. I am not, thankfully, immortal."

Carlisle tilted his head. "Thankfully?"

Finder smiled. "That I can, eventually, die naturally, is my anchor to my humanity. I believe, you see, in a creator god, and in my ultimate meeting with it. My humanity is what keeps _my_ honor intact, for I cannot go to God with it broken. I believe all sentient beings have souls which return us to God, and which we must keep unsullied to the best of our abilities. If I ever once believed that I could not die, that I could not end, it would be easy for me to use my power for only myself. It would be easy to judge, to kill, to view the short-lived as expendable with myself as the legitimate ruler by right of superiority. But I am not automatically superior to anyone. I am only superior by the size and rightness of the choices I make, and that is a temporary state that can always be altered by the next choice. You must understand my position, Dr. Carlisle, for you have made similar choices, you and your family."

"And that is why this de Morgan is evil. He believes he has the right to rule to kill everyone who resists him, because he is superior by right of birth, by the right of his gifts, whatever they are." Edward's summation was damning and implacable.

"Yes." Finder bent her head, not meeting the family's eyes for a long moment. "You do understand that you Cullens, by name and by association, are extraordinary. You have found the same kind of commitment to honor without the easy anchor of humanity that I have. You are far stronger than I, and you have my unqualified admiration."

The family looked at each other, noting Carlisle's pride, Esme's love, the shimmering bonds of commitment between them all, something beyond friendship or alliance, something forged of love, and found themselves smiling.

"So for you, this is a matter of honor?" Bella was genuinely trying to understand this strange, small woman who was so old and so gifted, so very dangerous, and who had spent centuries trying to live up to an ancient code of honor.

Finder smiled, a broad grin that lit up her entire face. "Yes, Miss Bella. That is precisely why I am doing it. For me, honor does not end."

"Nor does it for us, Finder," said Edward warmly, and the Cullens agreed.


End file.
